


Beginnings

by JoeyTaylor



Series: Clanverse [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Gen, Ombre, kari ironhide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-07-29 05:39:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 40,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16257782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoeyTaylor/pseuds/JoeyTaylor
Summary: The beginning of my HPYGO Crossover. A new tournament, new faces, new cards, new troubles. With foes both old and new closing in, who can the gang trust?





	1. Chapter 1

"One more?" Yugi Muto, King of Games and partner to Yami, an Ancient Pharaoh whose Soul resided inside the Millennium Puzzle, pleaded with his friends.

"We're late already!" Tea protested, the young dancer in training was already reaching for her purse, well aware that it was a losing argument.

"There's always time for one more Hot Chocolate." Joey grinned, getting to his feet and heading for the hatch.

"It's not like we can't take them with us." Tristan conceded, getting up and giving the Duellist a hand as he came back over with four fresh polystyrene cups of hot chocolate.

Yugi took his from his best friend and took a sip, then smiled slightly before violet eyes became red and there was a startled glance around before he shrugged and took another sip.

Tea sighed to herself. Yugi had done it again, surprising the Pharaoh by pushing him into the Driver's seat in a non-dangerous environment. It was something he'd been doing more and more often since Battle City and it had taken them a while to get used to it.

However, since it wasn't the strangest thing that had happened to the group, she'd given up worrying about it.

Joey just ignored the change. He still didn't like treating the two Yugis any differently, even since learning that the 'Other Yugi' wasn't another Yugi but the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle and a Pharaoh to boot.

Joey saw Yugi stood next to Yugi and blinked, attempting to ignore the ghost, who was completely oblivious to Joey's scrutiny. It wasn't helped though, by the fact that since his Shadow Game with Malik (Or Marik, or Yami Marik or whatever he'd been by that point other then another psycho after Yugi and the Millennium Puzzle), he'd been seeing the Other Yugi as a ghost, more and more often as he spent more time around them instead of hiding in the Puzzle.

Joey couldn't say he was happy about the amount of danger owning the Puzzle put Yugi in, but the Pharaoh was almost as much a friend to him as Yuge, so Joey played his part in protecting it.

Yami closed his eyes in bliss.

The hot chocolate here was fantastic.

He'd only been introduced to hot chocolate a couple of months ago, when Yugi had surprised him by shoving him in control outside of a Duel, or without Yami asking, and he'd had to carry on like normal.

That had been here too and other then the stuff they made at home sometimes, with marshmallows on top (why did that remind him of a Duel Monster?), they'd never found a place that made the drink this well.

"Hey look, it's that Duellist again." Tristan's whisper caused Yami to look.

A girl was darting out of the 'Staff Only' door with a Duel Disk and a slightly panicked look on her face as she raced for the exit as fast as she could without actually running.

"You think she's competing?" Joey asked quietly.

Yami shrugged, taking another sip of the hot chocolate. He had no idea who was competing in the Second Battle City. He and Yugi had signed up almost immediately and Joey had signed up the morning after. It was a Kaiba Corp Tournament, so Seto Kaiba would obviously be competing, and would blatantly try for their Egyptian God Cards again.

He'd heard rumours that Weevil Underwood was at it again this year, and Rex Raptor, but the other Duellist he hoped would be there was Mai Valentine.

He wanted a rematch with her, they hadn't Duelled since Duellist Kingdom and he wanted another go. She'd vanished after Battle City and coming around from her Shadow Game with Marik and he just hoped she was alright.

Yami looked down at the contents of his cup and grinned, firmly shoving Yugi in control to drain the last dregs in the cup, Yami briefly wondered how much longer he could put off the one journey that Yugi didn't want him to make.

Yugi gulped down the last of the cup, wondering how Yami always managed to make it last until it was 'barely warm' chocolate, and got to his feet. The others, who had been waiting for the Yugis to finish got to their feet too. "Let's go."

* * *

Seto Kaiba was bored.

He'd run this Beginner's Tournament to see if there were any up and coming Duellists who would be worth advancing to the higher rank on his system in readiness for the Second Battle City.

However the only two really worth even a passing look were the two finalists.

Both were complete unknowns to the others of this Tournament, but Seto knew he recognised their names from somewhere. He'd look them up once the winner was decided and he'd gotten back to Kaiba Corp.

There were a couple of foreign players here, obviously recently moved into the area and trying to make a name for themselves here in Japan.

The match ended just two turns later with a surprising move, with the loser wiping himself out on the opponent's face down monster's effect.

Kaiba found himself smirking at the loser's attitude, he obviously didn't like losing to a girl. After all, Duel Monsters was very much a male orientated game. Girls who played weren't very good normally, unless they did it day in day out like that Mai Valentine woman. There'd been quite a few in this Tournament and Battle City had increased the interest in the game.

Seto smirked, maybe the finalist was one to watch.

Of course she was no match for him, but he was certain she could easily give the Mutt a run for his money.

The finals this time around belonged to him and Muto, that much was obvious, and he would win Yugi's Winged Dragon of Ra.

The girl bowed to him and smiled shyly and he groaned.

Another fan girl.

However, she didn't stick around and Kaiba didn't get a chance to question her as she vanished just seconds after the closing ceremony.

Why was she familiar?

* * *

Another day, another hot chocolate.

This one from the kitchen of the Muto home, made by Grandpa Muto on the last day before the Tournament kicked off.

Hot milk poured over a few squares of dark, milk or white chocolate depending on preference, with squirty cream and Marshmallows. Chocolate flakes too if there was some to be found in the house.

Yugi or Yami, Tristan wasn't sure which, was sat on the work surface draining they cup slowly, while Joey leant against it, discussing tactics and Tea sat on the only stool that wasn't wonky, putting her two cent worth in.

He didn't understand why he hung around, sometimes, like on days like today, when they were prepping for a Tournament or they spent the entire day duelling, he felt a bit left out.

It wasn't like he didn't understand the rules, and he was always there to cheer for the others, he was just horrible at the game himself. He always had been, even with Yugi and Yami's coaching. Even Grandpa Muto had tried and look how much he'd improved Joey's game…

Joey had decided that Yugi's eyes were like revolving doors today. Purple, red, purple, red, it was like he was having a conversation with both of them and it was giving him a headache. As far as he was aware, he could have been, but unless one of them slipped up, the changing eye colours was the only way he could tell.

The Tournament that started tomorrow was a roaming one, like the first Battle City, but a lot colder since it was November. Joy was personally of the opinion that a Roaming Tournament in November was as sensible as Yugi going to fight Marik even though he knew he could die, but then Rich-Boy would probably call it a 'test of fortitude' or something.

Yugi had modified his deck, which was unsurprising, and Joey had worked on his too, but Yugi still knew most of the cards in it. Joey just didn't own enough cards to be able to surprise Yugi with more then the handful he'd gotten recently from Duke's Game Shop.

Yami was convinced that Kaiba was going to make a try for the Egyptian Gods, Yugi was certain Weevil was going to be a pain, Yami wanted to take Underwood out himself, Yugi wanted to play against Raptor at some point, Yami was looking forward to facing Kaiba, Yugi wanted it to be in the last few rounds…

Joey was getting a headache from trying to keep up. He wanted to play Weevil too so it would depend on who got to the little roach first.

"Kaiba's updated the Tournament list." Tristan pointed out, clicking on a button on Tea's laptop and refreshing the Duellist List on the Kaiba Corp Website, "There's some new names."

"Anyone we recognise?" Joey asked, looking over.

"Mako Tsunami, no one other then that, some new faces that probably won't last the two days." Tristan shrugged, "I don't honestly see anyone on this list that we know other then Kaiba who is a threat bar Mai. Oh…"

"Oh? Oh isn't good." Yami stood up and headed over to the computer. The Pharaoh's growl caused Joey to come over too.

"Ryou Bakura?" Joey growled, "Ryou? It's gonna be his evil side isn't it?"

Yami just growled and didn't reply, he just started pacing, eyes suddenly a lot duller then they had been.

The three friends just looked at each other, they knew what this meant. Yugi and Yami were discussing something. It was something they'd gotten used to over the years and at least they were at home this time so there was no risk of angry teachers or bumping into lamp posts.

"You're gonna have to be careful if Bakura's at it again." Tristan sighed, leaning back against the worktop, suddenly wishing he hadn't checked the list.

"I'm normally safe." Joey shrugged, "I only gotta worry if I'm the one against him. He's stopped attempting to use us as bait at least."

The phone rang and Yami's vision shot towards it for a microsecond before he was distracted again.

Joey picked it up, "Muto Residence, Joey speak… Mai?"

Yugi was back in control and hovering as Joey tried to talk to her. "How are you?" Joey asked, excited, "Are you compe… pulling out?" Joey's shoulder's sagged, "Why?"

Joey listened as Yugi waited semi patiently.

"No, I understand." Joey sighed, "Do you want to speak to Yugi? Yeah I'll pass you over. Here Yuge."

"Hi Mai." Yugi said, "You're pulling out of the Second Battle City?"

"Yeah, I'm just sure if I'm ready to get back into Professional Duelling yet." Mai sounded unsure, inside his head Yami was being very rude about Marik, who was the reason for this.

"We're competing, we're not aware of any threats, there shouldn't be any madness."

"I appreciate the try Yugi, but I know what Tournaments are like when you enter, there will be madness somewhere. I'm just not ready to jump back into it yet."

"Sorry."

"It's not your fault." Mai tried to reassure him, "I'd just thought I'd warn you about the rumours."

"What rumours?"

"Marik's Rare Hunters are still running and there's rumours that they'll be there."

"Thanks for the warning, it figures they'd still operate even without Marik, Card Sharking is too profitable." Yami said, borrowing control for a second.

Mai just grunted her agreement, "Anyway I'll see you around."

"Take care Mai. Feel free to stop round if you're in Domino."

"I might take you up on that, pass me back to Joey."

Yugi passed the phone back and sighed, slumping back onto a wonky stool as Joey said bye and stared at the phone.

"She's pulling out?" Tea asked.

Both boys nodded as Joey put the phone down.

"She say why?" Tristan asked, "It's not like her."

"She says she's not ready to come back into the Professional Duelling Circuit." Joey shrugged, "We all know why."

Yugi just stared into his lukewarm chocolate as Yami ranted about Marik in his head and Tristan used some rather colourful language.

" _You do realise this is our fault?"_

' _No Yugi, it's mine.'_ Yami stopped ranting and sighed, _'Marik was after me. Mai, Ryou, Joey, even you… you were all victims in his rampage…'_

" _You beat him, that's what matters."_

Yugi felt the mental equivalent of a shrug and knew that Yami had more thoughts on the matter, but didn't want to share them.

"Yuge?" Joey poked him and he smiled slightly.

"I'm fine, just thinking." Yugi smiled slightly. "More hoping really, I'd like a normal Tournament this time."

"Cross our fingers." Tea said, "We don't particularly want to see you two risking life and limb again."

"We'll just have to wait and see."

* * *

Ryou Bakura was wandering around Domino and wondering what had possessed him to enter the Tournament.

Actually that was an easy question, he knew exactly what had possessed him, the real question was what was Ryou going to do to stop Bakura from doing any real harm.

There was a Duel going on in Domino Square that had attracted quite a bit of attention.

"I'm going to win the Tournament, just you wait!" The boy was saying as he summoned a Zombie Warrior and equipped it with Zombie's Jewel. "I'm in a league of my own. Attack!"

"Yeah, the League for those who are delusional!" The girl smirked as her face down defence mode monster blew up and took out 2000 life points from the boy. "You walked straight into my Princess's trap! She takes 500 life points from you for every magic and trap card you have on the field when she's flipped face up!"

Ryou felt Bakura's amusement at the look the girl was giving her opponent.

"That'll teach you to under estimate girls."

There were a few female Duellists around, there was the Duellist playing, another one was watching the match with an amused look, and another was on her laptop and paying attention at the same time, her Duel Disk by her side. He wondered how many of them were competing tomorrow and if any of them would reach the finals.

He doubted it, of all the female Duellists he'd ever seen, only one ever made the finals, and that was that Valentine woman, Joey and Yugi's friend, Mai, he thought her name was.

He watched the girl crush the boy into the ground and ask if there were anymore challengers and then wandered home.

Tomorrow was going to be a long day.


	2. Not Again

It was 5 am and Yugi was already up, changed and checking his deck over one last time.

Yami had taken spirit form and was pacing irritably.

"That's not helping." Yugi sighed at him.

' _Sorry.'_ Yami stopped for all of five seconds before resuming.

"You'll wear a grove in the floor."

' _I don't leave any imprints, remember?'_ Yami asked, then sighed, _'Was I keeping you up?'_

"No, it was the nightmares again." Yugi gave Yami a slight smile, then shuffled his deck and drew five cards, "I only ever seem to have them before the craziness starts."

Yami didn't have much to say to that, he'd noticed it too. _'Before or during.'_ The pacing stopped and Yami grinned at him, _'Guess it means that this Tournament isn't going to be quiet.'_

"No." Yugi shrugged and shuffled again, "We should warn Joey."

"Yugi?" Yugi's head shot towards the door and Yami faded as Yugi's Grandpa, Solomon Muto, entered the room. "Who're you talking to?"

"No one." Yugi said hastily, "Just myself."

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah." Yugi nodded, "Just checking my deck over."

"You ready?" Solomon rubbed the sleep from his eyes and smiled as he joined his Grandson on the sofa.

"I could do with a hand." Yugi grinned, handing over his deck.

Solomon knew Yugi didn't need his help really, but was grateful that his Grandson was letting him in on this. His Grandson had surpassed him years ago at the game, but Solomon still enjoined being let in on things like this, even if Yugi was still keeping other secrets from him.

"Let's take a look then."

* * *

Joey was running late.

He'd been woken up by a phone call from Yugi at seven, who'd needed some reassurance about this Tournament. Joey had given it but he wasn't convinced that Yugi wasn't right, every time Yuge had nightmares, something strange happened.

Unfortunately the phone ringing had woken his father up and Joey had made a hasty exit, with his deck, Duel Disk and a few spare cards.

Once again he'd be spending the two days in the same clothes.

He'd made the mistake of stopping for Hot Chocolate at the café he and his friends often visited, and had gotten distracted by the argument that had arisen between the Duellist and a waitress as the Duellist dove out of the door.

Arriving in Domino Square with ten minutes to spare, he looked around for his best friend, who didn't seem to be here yet.

There were faces he recognised though, faces he'd never have even dreamed would be in a Duel Monsters Tournament, faces he thought he'd left behind…

"Joey!" Yugi finally arrived with only minutes to spare, out of breath and grinning slightly.

"Hey, what took ya?" Joey asked concerned.

It was Yami, not Yugi and he had a vaguely evil smirk as he answered, "I ran into Weevil Underwood."

"Yuge!" Joey laughed, "Couldn't you wait? The Tournament starts in two minutes!"

Yami's vaguely evil smirk turned into a full blown I-Know-That-Look-We're-Gonna-Die smirk.

"Alright, what was he doing?"

"I'm pretty sure stealing Map Cards is cheating and…"

"Yuge, please tell me you didn't…"

"No." Yami actually looked disappointed at that, "But he won't be competing. It's surprising how violent a girl can be."

"Girl?" Joey looked confused.

Yami scanned the crowd, "That one over there." He said, pointing to a blonde who also had a vaguely evil smirk. "She caught up with Weevil as our Duel ended and well…" Yami just grinned.

"Hell hath no fury…" Joey smiled slightly, trailing off as the big screen turned on, bringing up the Kaiba Corp logo, "Here we go."

Still highly aware of those in the crowd he didn't want to get anywhere near, Joey listened to Kaiba drone on about the rules, the out of bounds places in the city, excreta, excreta, it was cold and Kaiba was boring.

Yami, who knew the rule book inside out back to front and upside down and knew exactly how to twist them if they were attacked, was busy checking the crowd to see if he could see anyone he knew.

That girl was near the Arcade, he thought he'd caught sight of Bakura just now, but he couldn't be sure, and he hoped he was wrong, but he thought he'd seen Hirutani hanging around for some reason. Kaiba was winding up, with a speech about how only the best would make the finals, and Yami just rolled his eyes wondering if Kaiba would bother going out and Duelling, like last time, considering he didn't have Obelisk the Tormentor to test against other Duellists.

With just ten minutes before the official Duelling started the Duellists gathered in the Square scattered to different parts of the city.

"Yuge, I'll see you in the finals." Joey grinned.

Yami nodded, "See you there."

They split up, Joey heading for the park, which, last time, had been a popular place for Duellists to gather, while Yami headed towards the city centre, where the more experienced Duellists tended to prey on the poor new ones passing through.

The aim was to head for opposite sides of the city, so they didn't run into each other and end up having to play each other too early, after all they both needed five more Map Cards each and didn't really want to play each other before at least the Quarter Finals.

Joey shivered as the wind blew through the park's trees. He wondered if any of the Duellists would deliberately lose just so they could go somewhere warm.

The weather report had talked of snow. Joey had never Duelled in snow before and had wondered what it would do to the emitters.

It would be interesting.

* * *

Yami looked at the clock hanging above one of the shops and grinned, the Duelling would commence any second.

He had to wonder if anyone would challenge him or if all the people who normally jumped out at Yugi and issued an on the spot challenge had gone home. He hoped they were here because if he had to try and talk people into fighting him it wouldn't be as much fun.

There seemed to be two types of Duellists nowadays, Duellists who avoided him like the plague so they didn't get knocked out of Tournaments too easily and Duellists who were under the impression that they could beat him and specifically came looking for him so they could say 'I beat the King of Games'.

" _Looking for anyone in particular?"_ Yugi asked with a hint of laughter in his mental voice.

' _No,'_ Yami replied, _'Just thinking.'_

" _I'd've thought you'd be looking for an opponent before the…"_ Yugi stopped as around the city air horns went off, signalling the start of the Second Battle City.

"Muto!" Someone shouted.

Yami grinned and wheeled around, easily spotting the… Yami's excitement turned into a growl in milliseconds as he saw who was wearing the Duel Disk and coming up to him, he didn't know the creep's name but he was one of the ones who'd ganged up on Yugi and Joey over three years ago. Yami never forgot a face, especially the face of one who'd harmed Yugi.

"What do you want?" Yami growled.

"I challenge you to a Duel." The goon smirked, "By the rules of this Tournament you have to accept or forfeit a Map Card and since we've only just started you only have one."

"I accept," Yami growled, "But why are your type in this Tournament?"

The creep laughed as they paced it out and turned to face each other, "The Boss was recruited by some guys who want that gaudy tat of yours. He's been looking for any excuse to get revenge on you and Wheeler, and the one who brings it to the Boss gets a bigger cut of the pay."

"Hirutani's back?" Yami growled.

"That's right, back and worse then ever." The creep drew, "And I'll move first, summoning Gearfried the Iron Knight in attack mode and playing two cards face down. It's your move Muto."

Yami frowned and drew, he actually knew what he was doing? That alone was smarter then Yami would have credited the goons with, last time they'd met Hirutani had done all the thinking for them. "Queen's Knight, in defence mode, with three cards face down." Yami paused, "Why would Hirutani take work from someone else, why not just come after us?"

His Opponent smirked, "The money's totally worth the hassle of doing someone else's dirty work. Is it my move or not?"

"Make your move." Yami growled at him.

He did, drawing a card and launching an attack with Gearfried.

"I activate Magic Cylinder, reflecting the attack back at you!" Yami snapped, activating the trap card as he spoke.

"Waboku!" The goon snapped back, activating the trap, saving his life points but not negating the countering effects of Magic Cylinder.

"My Queen's Knight is safe." Yami growled.

"For now, your move." The goon didn't understand why they didn't just knock the kid senseless and take the gaudy gold item from him, something about needing to defeat the kid first, but none of the goons understood it and Hirutani would have just dismissed it as superstition if it hadn't been a factor in payment.

"I summon King's Knight and because I have both King's and Queen's Knight on the field I can special summon Jack's Knight." Two more monsters appeared on Yami's side of the field, "Jack's Knight! Attack his Gearfried!"

Gearfried blew up and the goon's life points dropped by 100.

Yami was finding it irritating that he didn't know the guy's name, "Queen's Knight! King's Knight! Attack!"

The goon's life points dropped by 3100, down to 800 and Yami frowned, this was too easy. If they were working for some bad guy who was after the Puzzle, surely they would have at least gotten good at the game. "Your move."

The goon drew with a growl, wishing he'd been picked to play against Wheeler. He wasn't sure how they were supposed to beat the 'King of Games' when none of the gang had been playing more then a couple of days.

"Raigeki!" The goon snarled.

Yami's eyes widened as the goon slammed it into his Duel Disk. "That card's forbidden!"

"I told you!" The goon laughed as Yami threw up his arms instinctively to protect himself from the lightening. "We're not in this Tournament to win it, we're not foolish enough to think we can, we're just here to get in your way and take your pendant!" Yami glared as the goon summoned another Gearfried, "Gearfried! Attack!"

The Warrior monster attacked Yami directly, causing him to cringe and loose 1800 points.

"This isn't over yet, Yugi. Your move."

Yami growled as he drew, if the guy was using Raigeki, then he could have the Direct Assault Cards… he felt Yugi's mental shudder and remembered that it had been Yugi, not him, who had been on the receiving end of Meteor of Destruction and most of the Hinotama cards.

"Monster Reborn to bring back Jack's Knight." Yami said, giving Yugi quick mental assurance before turning his attention back to the duel, "And I equip him with Legendary Sword to increase his attack by 500. Jack's Knight and activate A Warrior Returning Alive to bring back Queen's Knight from the graveyard. She reappeared on Yami's side of the field. Jack's Knight, attack with Legendary Slash!" The goon's life points dropped again, to 200, "I'm not done," Yami growled, "Queen's Knight, finish this!"

The woman warrior finished off the opponent's life points and Yami deactivated his Duel Disk, "I'll take your Map Card."

The goon chucked it at him but smirked, "Please, you think I'm the best we have? I'm not even close, but I think most of our decent Duellists went after Joey."

"What?"

"Good luck Muto, you're going to need it." The goon ran off and Yami chased after him with a growl, losing him in the crowd.

" _Hirutani? Joey's Old Gang Boss? He's after our Puzzle?"_ Yugi sounded confused.

' _Yes, but only to give to someone else for money.'_ Yami growled, _'We're going to have to find Joey.'_

" _I'm beginning to think entering these Roaming Tournaments is a bad idea."_ Yugi said, worried about his friend, _"Every time we split up, something like this happens."_

' _It'll be alright, if they're all as bad as that guy was, Joey can handle them.'_

" _Yes but…"_

' _But?'_

" _They're only Duelling us because they have to in order to get paid."_ Yami felt Yugi's desire for a face to face conversation but couldn't enter the Soul Rooms while they were out in public like this, _"Who could be after us this time? I don't think we've annoyed anyone and normally the Bad Guys starts bothering us mile sin advance of the Tournaments."_

' _We can deal with it Yugi.'_ Yami tried to reassure him, while heading back the way he'd come, _'Joey and I beat Hirutani and his goons before, we can do it again.'_ Yugi didn't reply but Yami could sense how on edge he was, _'It'll be alright.'_

" _Can we just find Joey please?"_

' _Do you want control?'_ Yami felt the equivalent of a headshake.

" _You're stronger then me, you stay in control."_

' _You're stronger then you realise Yugi.'_

" _Not as strong as you though… watch it!"_ Yami snapped out of dazed mode just in time to narrowly avoid crashing into the blonde from earlier.

"Hi Yugi." She grinned, "Where're you running to so quickly?"

"Looking for a friend." Yami panted, "Have you had a match yet?"

She shook her head, "No, but I'll face you later, good luck finding your friend." She wandered off into the crowd and Yami raced off.


	3. Tag Team

Joey hadn't gotten that far into the park before the air horns went off, but they were the least of his worries right now.

Somehow Hirutani's punks had made their way into the Tournament and while Joey didn't really credit them with enough brains to be any real threat to him Tournament wise, he wasn't stupid enough to assume they'd stick to the rules like everyone else.

In fact, if he was right, he was going to walk around this corner and there were going to be four of them.

He walked around the corner.

Not quite right.

Five.

"You can't all want to Duel me at once." Joey snorted before they could get a word in edge ways, "At least show some sort of honor."

"You're the one that has no Honor, Wheeler." One growled, "Abandoning the gang and then nearly killing our leader." The gang closed in.

"Hirutani was the one who attacked us, he fell off the roof. I didn't try to kill anyone." Joey growled, "It's what happens when you decide to pick a fight on a roof." Joey shifted into a fighting stance, "What are you clowns even doing in this Tournament?"

"We have a job that involves your little friend, Yugi." One of them sneered, "And the Boss thought we'd see how you were doing at the same time." He rose his arm so Joey could clearly see the Duel Disk, "Now, we challenge you."

"All five of you?" Joey asked, or rather tried not to yelp, "You can't be serious."

"Deadly serious, and you have to accept or forfeit your map card."

"What do you want with Yugi?" Joey growled as he tried to look for a way out of this, nowhere near confident enough to take on five guys in a Duel, in a fight he might come close, but a Duel was a different matter.

"Something about that gaudy gold item of his." The apparent leader of this group shrugged, "We've got you surrounded Wheeler, Duel us or fight us, your choice."

"Think you've got enough opponents there?" A girl's voice, heavily accented, rang out above the crowd, "Share them around why don't you?"

Joey looked over his shoulder to where an unamused looking brunette Duellist and her blonde friend were taking in every aspect of the scene.

"Stay out of this, chick." One of the goons growled.

The brunette said something to her friend in another language, something rude from her tone, but Joey didn't understand it, she turned to Joey, "You're Joey Wheeler, right? Second at Duellist Kingdom, Fourth in the first Battle City?"

Joey nodded, wondering what she wanted.

"I saw most of your matches on TV, I'm Kari Ironhide, will you accept me as your Duelling Partner?"

Her friend looked doubtful, as if she didn't think this was a wise course, and Joey examined the girl. She was confident, as if she didn't expect to lose, but two against five was still bad odds.

He hadn't planned to Duel, he'd planned on fighting his way out, but…

"Go on then Wheeler." One goons laughed. "And to make up for your handicap," He waved towards Kari, "We'll let you pick the two to go against the pair of you."

The circle of goons cleared a path for the two girls and Kari pulled out her deck, shuffled and put it in the correct slot. She smiled at Joey who smiled ruefully back, "You two." Joey pointed to the dumbest looking two, "We win, we get your map cards."

"You lose, you're coming with us, Wheeler and your new friend gives up her Map Card."

The girl shrugged, taking in where the bad guys shifted to, nerves slightly showing as she realised they were in the perfect places to jump them if their friends lost.

"You're crazy, you know that?" Joey asked, drawing his first hand.

"I know." Kari grinned back, "But then when it comes to Duelling I've always been a little mental. Besides, I can't stand cheats."

Joey smiled slightly, he knew plenty of people like that.

"Ladies first!" The goon mocked and Kari drew.

"A card in defence mode and four cards face down." Kari played quickly and confidently, "Next."

One of the goons, "Dark Blade in attack mode and two cards face down, Wheeler, you're next."

Joey drew, "Three cards face down and I end my turn." Joey had so many questions he wanted to ask but couldn't with the two girls here that he partially resented their interference, he wanted to know what they were planning for Yugi.

The last goon drew and played a second Dark Blade in attack mode and a card face down. "Your go again, girl."

"My name's Kari." She growled as she drew, "I sacrifice my face down card in order to summon my favourite Monster." She grinned and Joey's eyes widened as it appeared, "The Dark Magician Girl." The Spellcaster glared at the goons who looked unworried, "Then I activate Sage's Stone to summon a Dark Magician!" The magician that appeared had different coloured robes to Yugi's.

"I also activate the spells Thousand Knives, Dark Magic Attack and Magic Formula, killing your Dark Blade, destroying all your face down magic and trap cards," She pointed to one of the goons, "And equipping it to my Dark Magician Girl."

Joey gulped, suddenly glad she was on his side, "Dark Magician! Dark Magician Girl! Take him out!"

The two Spellcasters attacked the defenseless goon and his points hit zero.

"Where did you get all those cards?" Joey asked, slightly awed by the move as the goon sat down on the floor.

The girl shrugged, her attitude changing on an instant, like she had a personal grudge against these guys. Perhaps she just hated bullies, someone as small as this girl had to have been a target of a group of them at some point.

"My friend doesn't tend to eat, she spends all her money on cards." Her blonde friend answered for her, "She has done for years."

Joey grinned, he knew a few people like that too, were all Duellists obsessive?

"Your move." Kari glared at the remaining goon.

"Raigeki."

"What?" Kari yelped as all of her monsters blew up, closely followed by Joey's face down one. Magic Formula increased her life points by 1000 but she looked furious, "You cheating git! That card's forbidden!"

"We all have one, and that's not all we carry."

"You'll be kicked out." Kari growled.

"We're not here for the Prize Money." The goon laughed at her, "Ask your friend."

Kari looked at Joey who sighed, "They're trying to cause trouble for me and a friend."

"I won't lose to a cheat." Kari growled, "Finish your move."

"A second monster, Giltia, the Dark Knight!"

Both common monsters stood side by side.

"Attack the girl!"

Kari threw up her arms to protect herself from the sword, but couldn't stop herself being thrown back by Giltia's magical attack. She groaned as she sat up, seeing stars from hitting her head. It was a lot of damage to take in one hit as her life points hit 1350. She grumbled something in the other language as she retook her place in the Duel.

"Wheeler, your go."

Joey drew, it was funny how a Duel could change on an instant and yet Joey marvelled over how he was more angry that they were cheating, even though he'd expected it, then that they'd jumped him. "Gearfried the Iron Knight!" Joey growled as he summoned it, "I guess it's Kari's move."

She drew, "I summon Magician's Valkeria, in attack mode and end my turn."

Joey frowned as the older looking Duel Monster who looked a lot like the Dark Magician Girl appeared, and looked at Kari, Valkeria didn't have enough attack points to stand up to his monsters on her own and her face down card hadn't stopped his attack last time…

The goon drew, arrogant in his self assurance, "Giltia, destroy her Valkeria!"

Something exploded in the magical blast but Joey couldn't help but grin when he saw what she'd done.

"What?" A yelp from the goon, "What are those?"

"Magical Hats." Kai grinned, "A present from a friend. My Valkeria is in one of those hats, care to take another shot at her?"

"Dark Blade!" The goon growled, "Attack her!"

Another hat exploded and Joey held his breath.

Nothing.

Kari's grin turned into a smirk. "Sorry, but you wasted both your goes."

"I'll hit her next time, three cards face down and it's your move Wheeler."

Joey drew, wondering how he was going to get the girl back in this, she was trying to recover from the loss of what were probably her two best monsters and doing admirably, but their opponent would destroy Valkeria next turn and then she'd be wide open. "I summon Exarion Universe and play a card face down. Gearfried! Attack his Dark Blade!"

The two monster met in combat and were both killed.

"Kari, your move."

The girl nodded and drew, her face taking on an odd look, then shrugging. "I have to pass this turn."

 _Damn._ Joey thought as the goon sized up the hats and summoned Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight.

"That's a seven star monster!" Joey growled. "You have to tribute two monsters for it!"

"Not if it's the only card in my hand." The goon laughed, "I stole this one from a Duellist who thought he was tough enough to take us all on, on his own. I equip it with all my face down Equip Cards." Swift Gaia went up by around 2000 points.

"Lunatic." Joey muttered, though he hoped they hadn't done anything permanent to him.

"Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight attack her left hat!"

Kari braced herself.

"Kunai with chain!" Joey grinned as he activated it, "It stops your monster from being able to attack and increases Exarion Universe's attack by five hundred."

"Thanks Joey." Kari grinned at him.

"I still have Giltia! Attack her hat!"

Kari growled as her hat blew up, revealing a Magician's Valkeria who for some reason wasn't dying.

"What's going on?"

Joey, who had noticed the crowd gathering to watch the Duel from around Joey's first turn and was rather glad of it, they wouldn't try anything afterwards if there was a large crowd to get them into trouble, grinned, "Graceful Dice, all we need is a two or higher and Valkeria is stronger then your Giltia!"

"Dust Tornado." The goon growled, "Destroying your Graceful Dice."

Valkeria died as Giltia's magic reached her.

"Sorry Valkeria." Kari murmured as her last Magical Hat faded away with nothing on the field to hide, her points dropping by another 250.

"Wheeler, make your move!"

Joey drew, "Roulette Barrel, in defence mode!" He called as he summoned, "I activate it's effect, rolling two dice, so I can destroy a monster with same number of stars as the total of both dice."

Two virtual die appeared and rolled themselves, on stopped on a two and the other on a five. "I destroy your Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight." Joey grinned, "And Kunai with Chain still acts as an equip card for my Exarion Universe, who attacks your Giltia!"

The goon's points went down by 450 as Giltia exploded.

"Kari." Joey nodded to her.

She drew and frowned again, "I have to pass, there's no move I can make."

"Then you're going to lose this turn." The goon laughed, "I summon another Dark Blade and attack you directly.

"I discard Kuriboh!" Kari's voice could be heard over the resulting explosion as her Kuriboh wall exploded at the attacking monster, saving her life points. Kari was left with a rather big grin, she enjoyed annoying people with that card.

"Come on Kari, you can do it!" Her friend yelled, or something that was the English equivalent, Joey guessed, it certainly had the same tone to it as his friends' many pep talks.

"Wheeler." The goon growled, "Make your move."

Joey drew again, "Axe Raider, in attack mode and I switch Roulette Barrel to attack mode too." This turn the two dice didn't roll the same amount as any monster, "Exarion Universe! Attack his Dark Blade!" The goon's points dropped to 3050, "Axe Raider! Roulette Barrel! Attack him directly!" They dropped again to 350. "Kari, your move."

She drew and grinned, "Skilled Dark Magician in attack mode! He attacks you directly too!" The goon snarled his points hit zero and Kari grinned, "Now, hand over your Map Cards."

The goons would have just run except for the crowd that was now boxing them in. They handed over their Map Cards, one each to Joey and Kari, then legged it.

"Damn it." Joey muttered, as they got away. He sighed and turned to Kari, "Thank you for the help."

The girl shook her head, "You kept me in that after they destroyed my Magicians, I should be thanking you."

Joey just shrugged, "Who's your friend?"

"I'm Robyn Golden." The blonde said, nodding, "Hi."

"Hi." Joey nodded back and smiled, getting a small, wary smile back in exchange. He turned back to Kari, "You gonna be alright if they come after you for this?"

"Hopefully." She frowned after them, "I hate bullies, I hope they don't cause you and your friend too much trouble."

"Me too." Joey frowned. "I'll go find him."

Kari nodded, "Good luck."

"Thanks, you too. See ya around." Joey smiled as the girls went one way and Joey went after the goons, who'd already fled. He'd wanted to ask them why the hell they wanted Yugi's Puzzle.

He had two choices.

No, there was really only one.

Joey raced back towards the City Centre, where he was sure Yugi would be. Hirutani back, girls that jump into the middle of large conflicts, people after the Puzzle…Joey couldn't help the grin even with the worry, this was just like normal.

Mai had been right though, the madness had struck again. It seemed like they were jinxed to have to deal with insanity. If anything Joey was kind of glad the type of people they were fighting this time were just goons. Both he and Yami had dealt with them before and they didn't have any magic, which meant no Shadow Games as long as they avoided Bakura.

Speaking of whom, Joey slipped past the duel between Bakura and some poor sod who didn't know what he was getting into and carried on running, saner villains or not, Yami was capable of outsmarting and outdueling Hirutani's goons, but outfighting them… Joey had no idea.

Joey was back to the square before he had to slow down. Panicking wouldn't do him any good. There was a plus side to all this madness.

He already had two Map Cards.

Now if he could be sure that Yuge was alright, he'd be happy to carry on kicking ass and taking names.


	4. No Choice

Yami slowed down to catch his breath.

Joey hadn't been at the park, or aqueduct, or the bridge or about a million other places, but he had heard about Joey and a girl teaming up to deal with some thugs who'd tried to jump Joey.

Yami and Yugi had grinned when they'd heard about Joey's tag team duel, it would be interesting to meet another Magician user who didn't cheat, unlike Arcana. They did seem to attract the crazy ones, the ones who'd quite happily jump into a massive battle even if they didn't know what was going on and who didn't tend to run from danger.

There had been other goons around, but they seemed to be content with trailing him for now, something that had Yami on edge. If they were being paid to grab the Puzzle, why weren't they attacking him?

" _Yami, look around."_

Yami frowned at Yugi's request and did so, worried frown turning to amused smile at Yugi's sudden switch in mood as the first of the, warned of, snow fell from the sky, not pitching on the ground yet, but soon, it had been cold and dry recently.

" _Where should we try looking next?"_ Yugi asked.

' _I think Joey will probably come looking for us, we're easier to find, look at all the fans we've run into while looking for Joey.'_ Yami replied, _'If we stay in one spot we'll probably get him passing us.'_ Yami shivered slightly. They didn't get to see snow very often, but when they did the gang were like little kids just given their favorite candy.

Yami quite liked snow, but he had to wonder how many Duelists would pack it in if the snowfall got too bad. A roaming Tournament was often bad enough if the weather was just cold, to add snow to the equation was just asking for complaints and frozen Duelists.

Leather wasn't the warmest thing in the world, Yami decided as he rubbed his arms to get some feeling back into them, if anything he'd've thought Aibou would have chosen something a little saner to wear considering the forecast was snow.

" _Sorry Yami."_ Yugi tried not to laugh, _"I completely forgot about the weather forecast."_

Yami sent the mental equivalent of an irritated eye roll and then a quick grin to show he didn't mean it. He'd been as bad as Yugi, so busy getting ready and trying to beat down nerves, that he hadn't thought to check the weather forecast.

Joey had been going on about snow for over a week, hoping that it didn't fall today of all days, but of course, sod's law, it was falling over a city swarming with Duellists.

" _So who're you going to fight?"_ Yugi asked as Yami took in the crowd and noted every Duellist in it in under a second.

' _I'm still waiting to see if those goons that have been following us make another attempt at the Puzzle.'_

" _If you wait too long we won't get enough Map Cards."_

Yami smiled slightly. Yugi was worried about Joey and about the guys after the Puzzle, but Yugi still wanted to win this Tournament as much as Yami did.

' _Well, who would you suggest?'_ Yami asked, swapping over, wanting to test Yugi's ability to pick a good opponent.

There was silence for a minute as Yugi looked at the Duelists and then decided, going over to the blonde that they'd met earlier and challenging her.

She looked startled for a moment, then grinned and nodded.

Yami, aware of a sudden peak in interest from the goons that had been following them, took control and activated his Duel Disk.

This was why they'd been following him, to watch him play and see if there were any weak points in his deck that they could exploit.

Well, if they wanted a show they were going to get one.

" _Yami, don't get too over confident."_ Yugi scolded him.

"I've been after playing you." The girl said, saving Yami from having to think of a response, "I'm Kimi Honda. Thanks for helping me find that bug earlier."

Yami grinned, "Nice to finally get to know your name, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go any easier on you."

"Two map cards?" Kimi asked, holding them up.

"Two." Yami agreed, showing her his own. "Make the first move."

"Thank you." Kimi grinned, drawing, "I play one card in defence mode and two cards face down. It's your move, Yugi."

Yami drew, looking at his hand and grinning, "Queen's Knight, in attack mode and three cards face down. Queen's Knight attack her face down card!"

The card blew up and so did Yami's knight.

"Huh?"

"Old Vindictive Magician." Kimi explained with a grin, "Destroys your monster when it's flipped face up."

' _Don't say it Yugi.'_ The innocent whistle from Yugi's Soul Room told Yami he'd been right about what Yugi had been thinking.

"Nice one." Yami nodded, "Your move."

"I summon Celtic Witch." Kimi said as she played the monster. It was one of the new cards from the latest booster packs, the four star, 1700/1300, lady Spellcaster in some sort of red and gold robes, like the Rare Hunters' robes but in colour and without covering the face, the monster's brunette hair did that plenty well enough, without help. "Wand Blast!"

The Spellcaster pointed a wooden stick at Yami, firing off some sort of bluish light.

Yami's voice couldn't be heard over the noise of the bluish light striking the brown fuzzball who exploded and protected Yami from the attack. _Thanks._

"Was that Kuriboh?" Kimi asked with a grin. "He was so cute."

Yami smiled, "I take it you know what he does then."

Kimi nodded, "You discard him and he protects you from one attack." Her smile became slightly vindictive, "You stopped a God with that card, didn't you?"

"Only for one turn." Yami replied, put on guard by her attitude change.

"I end my turn."

Yami had been waiting for that and drew, "Alpha, the Magnet Warrior in attack mode, and I activate Magnet Pull, allowing me to summon Beta and Gamma from my deck." The other two magnet monsters appeared on the field. "Then I merge them to Special Summon Valkyrion the Magnet Warrior." Yami's 3500/3850 Magnet Warrior appeared on the field. "Destroy Kimi's Witch!"

Kimi flinched as her witch was cut in two and her life points dropped to 2200.

"Your turn."

Kimi nodded and drew, annoyed he'd turned it around so quickly, "I summon Celtic Wizard." She played the monster, this time it was a man in blue and bronze robes and brown hair who gave Yami the most disgusted look that the Pharaoh had ever seen on a Duel Monster's face. "He's the boyfriend of Celtic Witch, so since she's in the graveyard he gets an extra 1000 attack and defence points."

The wizard's points rose to 2900.

"He's still not strong enough to fight my Valkyrion." Yami stated, wondering what she was up to.

"No, but I can activate Defusion, separating your Magnet Warrior back into it's three parts." The warrior split into Alpha, Beta and Gamma again, "Celtic Wizard! Destroy Alpha the Magnet Warrior."

Yami's Alpha exploded, decreasing Yami's points by 1500.

"Your move."

Yami drew and smirked. Not a regular good draw smirk either, it was the I-know-exactly-how-this-is-going-to-end-because-I- just drew-something-uber smirk which was slightly different to those who knew him from the oh-god-I-know-that-look-we're-gonna-die smirk.

In his Soul Room, Yugi's head shot up at the energy that had passed from card to Pharaoh and wondered which God it was as Yami played Monster Reborn to bring back Alpha and sacrificed all of them for…

"I sacrifice all three for Obelisk the Tormentor!" Yami growled as he summoned the huge blue God monster. "Attack!" Yami yelled up at it.

Kimi threw her arms up to protect herself as her Wizard was squashed by a huge blue fist and her points dropped by another 1100.

"Your move."

Kimi growled under her breath as she drew a card, looked at the field and then smiled and shook her head. "I expected to face a God, but I still manage to be surprised." She played a card face down in defense mode, "Your move Yugi."

Yami drew, "I play a card in defense mode." Yami said, then turned to his God Card, "Obelisk! Attack her monster!"

The poor monster exploded but Yami frowned as his life points dropped.

"What?"

"My trap card activated." Kimi said. "I know that your God is immune to them, but you're not, so I activated Magic Bomb, which takes five hundred points from you for every Spellcaster destroyed in the turn it's activated."

Yami frowned but let Kimi take her turn. Another card face down and a card in defence mode.

Yami drew and smiled, "I play King's Knight in attack mode." Yami called, summoning the monster, "He destroys your face down card."

"I activate another Magic Bomb!" Kimi retorted as King's Knight slashed her Spellcaster out of existence.

"Obelisk!" Yami growled as his points dropped to 1500, "Finish this!"

Kimi was knocked backwards as Obelisk obliterated the rest of her life points.

"Nice game." Yami said, giving her a hand to her feet.

"I kinda knew I was going to lose." Kimi sighed, putting her hand in her pocket and pulling out two map cards, "Here, good luck."

"Thanks, are you out now?" Yami asked.

Kimi nodded. "Never mind, maybe next year." She shrugged, "See ya around."

"See you Kimi." Yami gave her a broad smile.

She grinned back and headed off towards somewhere warm.

" _Yami. Look around."_ Yugi grinned.

The snow was pitching. Forming a covering of white over the ground.

Yami however, was distracted from that by the goons who were closing in on them. Quickly shutting off his Duel Disk and putting his deck in it's case, Yami growled as he was surrounded.

"What?" He snapped at them.

"You know what we want." The leader of this group growled.

"What's the matter?" Yami asked, a smirk on his face, "Things not going the way you planned?"

"Wheeler got lucky."

"What? You weren't expecting to lose to a girl?" Yami laughed. The bad guys looked startled, "I've heard about the Double Duel."

"You're coming with us." The leader growled and stepped forward.

"Why would I?" Yami asked, giving the man his best Death Glare and smirking slightly when he recoiled.

"Our boss wants to see you."

"Hirutani wants to see me?" Yami asked, rolling his eyes, "Tough."

Yugi could sense that there was more to Yami's attitude then he was letting the bad guy's see. In a Duel or a game of any kind, Yami could take them, but they had a size advantage over the Pharaoh if they chose just to attack them.

"You're coming with us." The Leader took a step forward.

Yami stayed exactly where he was, "Who are you working for?"

"Hirutani." He answered, as if that was obvious, giving the two behind Yami a nod.

Yami rolled his eyes, "Who's Hirutani working for?" Then had to try to pull himself free as he was grabbed from behind and had one arm twisted behind his back, while the other attempted to tear away the arm that now surrounded his throat.

Yami tried not to bark in pain as they twisted the arm behind his back further, but he did stop trying to free himself for the time being.

"Why don't you come and meet them for yourself?" The Leader smirked.

" _I know this probably sounds stupid, but it isn't a bad idea."_ Yami frowned, more at Yugi's comment then the thugs. _"We're going to have to face them sooner or later and I'd rather face them before they can drag our friends into it."_

Unspoken, _before they can hurt Joey._

"Fine. I'll come with you." Yami said out loud. Though to be fair, short of Shadow Gaming these freaks, which he didn't dare do while they had him pinned like this, he didn't really have much choice.

"You never had a choice."


	5. Cockroach

Joey growled as he came to a halt in Domino Square, back where they'd started. It shouldn't be possible for someone to drop off the face of the planet.

And yet why was he surprised?

If anyone was going to find a way, it would be Yugi.

What worried Joey was that Yuge had vanished, probably to fight bad guys on his own, and there wasn't even a hint of where he'd gone. Everyone was more interested in the Duels he'd fought then where he'd gone afterwards.

"You little roach!" Joey turned his head towards the source of the commotion. Rex Raptor was snarling at Weevil Underwood, who had a lovely black eye developing, probably courtesy of that blonde who was wandering around this city somewhere. "I can't believe you beat me!"

"Your dinosaurs have always been bug bait." Weevil was laughing. Rex stormed off, giving Joey a cursory nod as if he half expected the blonde to be there, and then vanishing into the thinning crowd, probably to go fight someone else, or get out of the snow.

"Wheeler? You out?" Weevil laughed. "You have to be if you're just walking around town."

"Bug off you cockroach." Joey growled, "I'm trying to find Yugi."

"I challenge you to a Duel." Weevil said confidently, "I have some new monsters that can easily beat you."

Joey glared at the bug. If he left now, he'd have to hand over a map card, and he'd promised Yugi he'd see him in the finals. "Fine."

"If you lose you have to give me all your Map Cards." Weevil smirked.

"Wait a minute, how many do you have?" Joey asked, shuffling his deck as he moved into position.

"Two." Weevil held them up.

"Fine, I have two as well." Joey held them up, "But let's make this short, I have a friend to find."

"Fine, you can go first."

Joey drew, played two cards face down and summoned Panther Warrior. "Its your move Weevil."

"What's the matter Wheeler? No quips for me today?" Weevil asked, drawing, "You finally figured that I'm better then you?"

"Please." Joey said sarcastically as Weevil summoned Basic Insect and equipped it with enough spell cards to raise it to 2100. "You've yet to beat me, and I've got more important things to worry about."

Weevil looked put out, "Basic Insect, swat his Panther!"

"I activate Graceful Dice!" Joey called, activating one of his face down cards, "The higher I roll, the more my Monster's attack increases!" The cherub rolled it's blue dice, landing on a two. "Alright!" Joey grinned, "My Panther Warrior's attack doubles!"

The insect launched an assault only to be torn apart by the Warrior and Weevil's life points decreased by 1900.

"A card face down and I end my turn." Weevil glared at Joey as he spoke.

Joey shivered slightly as a snowflake landed on the end of his nose, "I summon the Flame Swordsman to the field in attack mode." Joey called. The warrior monster appeared and Joey smiled slightly at the heat he could swear was coming from the flames around his blade, "And I activate Salamandra to increase his attack!"

Weevil continued to glare as the flames intensified. Joey wasn't sure if it was good thing he felt so warm, but he could swear the heat was from his monster. It would be like Rich-Boy to get that right considering even in the early stages, back when it had been those Frisbee things, he'd been getting the smell right on the monsters, so why not the heat from the fire monsters too?

"Flame Swordsman attack him directly!"

"Bug Net!" Weevil called, activating a face down trap and stopping the Flame Swordsman in its tracks as a huge net rose over it.

"What did you do?" Joey growled.

"Your Swordsman now can't attack for three turns, even his flames can't get him free of that net." Weevil gloated.

"I end my turn."

Weevil drew, a smirk Joey was all too familiar with dawning on the roach's face. "I play Petit Moth and Equip it with this!"

"Oh…" Joey glared at it as purple goo spun around the worm like creature.

"The Cocoon of Evolution!" Weevil crowed.

"I've beaten your oversized Moth before, Weevil, what's to stop me puncturing it like a balloon?"

"That's easy, your Panther isn't strong enough and your Flame Swordsman won't be free in time to pop it."

"Those aren't the only strong monsters I have." Joey growled.

"I will crush you with my moth, just you wait." Weevil was still crowing. "Your move."

Joey growled and drew, the smirked, looking up at the Cocoon, "I think you'll remember this card." Joey said, "I sacrifice Flame Swordsman and Panther Warrior for Insect Queen!" The heat from his Flame Swordsman gone, Joey could help shivering and wondering how deep the snow was going to get by the end of the day. Insect Queen's attack rose by 200 because of the insect on Weevil's side of the field.

"How dare you play my Queen against me?" Weevil was outraged.

"You should've taken better care of her in the first place!" Joey said.

"I'm claiming her back as my Ante when I win." Weevil growled.

"You can claim what you want, I'm not going to lose to you." Joey shrugged, "Besides, I can't pop your Cocoon this turn as I have to tribute a monster to get Insect Queen to attack, so I guess it's your turn."

"I summon Big Insect and activate Insect Barrier, so the Queen can't attack my monsters. Just four more turns, Wheeler and then you're going to lose." Weevil said, irritating Joey no end, "Your move." Insect Queen went up again, to 2600.

Joey drew, "I summon Blue Flame Swordsman!" The black armoured version of the Flame Swordsman with a blue flaming sword stood face to face with Weevil's monsters. "Blue Flame Swordsman! Attack Big Insect!"

Weevil's insect exploded and Joey's Queen dropped to 2400, not that it mattered since she couldn't attack.

"Your move, Weevil!"

"I play Card of Sanctity, so we can both draw until we have six cards in our hands and play a card face down in defence mode!" Weevil growled, "Take your turn, you've only got three more."

"I summon Hayabusa Knight!" Joey growled, the bird like knight in full armour, minus helmet, appeared on the field. "And equip it with Lightening Blade!" The falcon knight's sword warped, crackling with electricity, and the knight's attack increased by 800, "And it can attack twice in one turn!"

"But it's not strong enough to defeat my Cocoon!"

"Not yet." Joey grinned, "But I activate Blue Flame Swordsman's effect, offering 1700 of it's attack points to increase Hayabusa's!" The Falcon Knight increased to 3500, "Hayabusa Knight! Attack the Cocoon of Evolution!"

It exploded in a combination of electricity and blue flames and the knight wiped out the Larvae Moth that had hatched from the Cocoon. "You didn't even get your Great Moth out this time." Joey said with a condescending smile. "A card face down and it's your move, Weevil."

Weevil drew and grinned, "Eradicating Aerosol!"

Joey yelped as his Insect Queen exploded.

"I activate Monster Reborn to bring Insect Queen to her rightful place."

"She's no match for my Hayabusa Knight." Joey growled as the Insect Queen appeared on Weevil's side of the field.

"No, but she's more then a match for your Blue Flame Swordsman! Insect Queen, it's dinner time!"

"I activate Silver Dollar!" Joey's voice could be barely heard over the sound of the attack and Weevil growled as the Knight was left standing afterwards.

"What was that card?"

"Silver Dollar's saved me before." Joey said, thinking back to Noa's Virtual World, "If an attack is called on a monster with less then 1000 attack points, the damage inflicted to me and my monster is zero."

"Fine." Weevil sounded sulky. "Make your move."

Joey drew. "I play Energy Drain, to drain your Insect Queen's attack."

Insect Queen's attack went to zero, "Hayabusa Knight! End this!" The insect exploded and Weevil's points dropped to zero. "Hand over your Map Cards Weevil."

Weevil sank to the snow covered floor and sulked.

"Weevil." Joey growled.

"Fine, take them." Weevil lobbed them at him and stormed off. Joey shook his head and sighed. Weevil would never learn.

"Wheeler." Joey tensed up and wheeled around. "The Boss wants to talk to you."

"He's not my Boss." Joey growled at the goon.

"No, but we have a bargaining chip now." The goon smirked.

"What?" Joey snarled, at his most dangerous.

The goon seeming to realise this, moved back slightly before answering, "We've got Muto."

Joey froze as he tried to comprehend the statement. "You what?" He snarled as it sank in. "What did you do to him?"

The goon took another step back. "He's unharmed, for now. We still need to beat him if we want to get paid."

Joey controlled his temper, barely, he knew how Hirutani and his gang acted and launching an attack on this guy would just get Yugi hurt. "Fine, I'll come and talk to Hirutani, but if Yugi's hurt in anyway, you'll be sorry."

"Follow me." Joey growled but followed him, not seeing much other choice.

Joey frowned and looked over his shoulder as they turned a corner, convinced they were being followed. It wasn't Gang Members, they'd have been a lot more conspicuous. "Hold up." Joey said, bending down on the pretence of tying his shoes.

The next thing he knew the goon was being assaulted by a tall, busty blonde with violet eyes and a great right hook. Joey waited until she was done beating up the goon and then stood, freezing in place as he realised who it was. "Mai?"

"Told you something would happen." Mai smiled at him, "Hi Joey."

"Hey." Joey tried not to grin too obviously but they were both happy to see each other and the other knew it. "I thought you were pulling out."

"Changed my mind." Mai shrugged, "I can't turn down a challenge."

"Why were you following me?"

"I ran into a pair of English girls who said that you were having trouble with some goons and that one of them had tag teamed with you against some. I figured I'd come take a look since they seemed to think you were having trouble with gang members and that's a little too normal for the trouble your group seems to get in." What she didn't tell Joey was that the two in question had looked like they were having trouble with the goons and Mai had helped them out.

"You must have run into Kari, I thought I recognised some of her other language, I'm flunking English." Joey snorted. _And Math, and science, and…_ "The goons are gang members; we don't know who hired them." Joey glared into empty space, "They've got Yugi."

"So, what do we do?" Mai asked as Joey pinned the goon, head locking him before he could get away.

"Well, this guy's taking me to Yugi and their leader. I don't know what you're doing."

"I'm caught up in it, aren't I?" Mai asked, "At least this is reasonably normal."

"Are you sure about this?" Joey asked.

Mai nodded.

"Where's Hirutani?" Joey snarled at the goon, who was trying to get free and not loosening his grip one bit.

Mai was slightly taken aback by the change but waited as Joey got the information from the goon, and didn't start a conversation until they were moving. "Where's Tea and Tristan?"

"Doing the sane thing and staying inside." Joey said, a small smile on his face, "They're gonna join us at the Finals."

"Sane thing?" Mai laughed, "A Duellist should be prepared for any weather."

"Hence why the long skirt?" Joey joked.

"Exactly." Mai nodded, "I don't think anyone was as disorganised as you lot back in Duellist Kingdom though."

"It was our first official Tournament!" Joey said, indignantly, the goon he still had head locked giving directions and listening with interest. "We thought there would be food places on the island."

"You weren't even supposed to be there."

"You wouldn't have had it any other way." Joey joked. "Think how boring life would be without us."

"Think how normal it would be, you mean."

"That as well." Joey sighed, "Mai, I wanted to… Yugi feels really bad about dragging you into his problems last time and I wanted to say sorry for that mean joke, you know the one just before…"

Mai shuddered as the memory came flooding back, "It was Marik's fault, not Yugi's and I forgave you back then didn't I?"

Joey smiled slightly, "Still I…"

"That one." The goon pointed to one of the warehouses. "Hirutani is waiting inside with your friend." The goon, rendered unconscious by Joey, was shoved down an alley and the two worked their way into the warehouse via a different route.

_Hang in there Yugi._


	6. Triple Teamed

Yami grunted as he was pushed to the ground in front of Hirutani.

Yugi recognised this warehouse, it was one of the warehouses on the same row as the one that he'd duelled Bandit Keith in when Keith had been a mind slave to Marik.

The recognition wasn't reassuring for the Pharaoh, who glared at Hirutani as he got to his feet. "Hirutani." Yami growled, refusing to bow to the Gang Leader who'd once tried to kill Yugi and force Joey back into his gang.

"Muto." Hirutani growled back, giving him a mocking bow, "I hope my gang weren't too rough."

"What do you want?" Yami growled, having already worked that the exit was blocked and he wasn't going anywhere without at least Duelling someone and possibly Shadow Gaming others.

Hirutani gave Yami's original captor a nod.

From behind the chain of the Millennium Puzzle was lifted from around his neck and Yami was ripped from control as the Puzzle was taken and thrown across the room to Hirutani. Yugi looked up, fear tainting his violet eyes and taking a step back as he realised what had happened.

" _Yami!"_

"I don't understand what the big deal with this gaudy trash is." Hirutani was saying as he examined it, "The robes are willing to pay big bucks for it, American, if one of us can beat you. They've even gone to the trouble of going out and crushing weak Duellists to take their Map Cards in case you're in the finals."

"I won't lose to any of you." Yugi said, trying to act more confident then he felt. _"Yami can you hear me?"_

There was no response from the Puzzle and Yugi tried to maintain a calm expression.

"You're overconfident, Muto." Hirutani growled, "You see, you're not getting out of here until one of us has defeated you, even if you have to miss your precious tournament."

Yugi activated his Duel Disk, "Fine, who wants to go first?"

Hirutani laughed, "You'd like that wouldn't you? For it to be so easy." Yugi stood his ground as Hirutani came to stand right in front of him and grabbed him by the collar. "I'm well aware of your title of 'King of Games.' You'll fight alone, against three of my men, at a time, until one of us defeats you."

Yugi tried not to look afraid as Hirutani let go and back off, smirking.

"And if I refuse?" Yugi asked.

And got a fist to the gut for his troubles, doubling up in pain as Hirutani let go.

"Does that answer your question?" Hirutani smirked.

Yugi groaned, straightening up.

"A…alright. I accept. But I get any map cards your goons have if I win, and I get the Puzzle back."

"If you can beat me, you'll get it back."

" _Yami? Please, answer me!"_

' _Yu…be care…'_ The link, so forcefully broken, wasn't strong enough to let Yami communicate with him, Yugi would be fighting Hirutani's entire gang completely alone.

Alone.

He hadn't been completely alone since he'd completed the Puzzle and gotten his wish, for more then three years he'd always had friends at his side, even when he'd fought Bandit Keith he could sense Yami more then he could now.

' _Yu…'_

"Let's Duel." Yugi attempted a growl.

Hirutani laughed, "You, you and you, take him down."

Yugi drew his first hand and had to fight back a smile, "I summon Celtic Guard in attack mode and play two cards face down. It's your turns."

The first goon drew, summoning Flame Swordsman in attack mode and passing the turn to the next goon, who summoned Gearfried the Iron Knight in attack mode and played two cards face down before the turn moved on to the last goon, who summoned Mad Dog of Darkness, a deranged Dark Beast monster with 1900 attack points. "Mad Dog, destroy his Guard!"

"Magic Cylinder!" Yugi called, activating his trap card.

"Royal Decree." The goon two activated the continuous Trap Card, destroying Yugi's Magic Cylinder, and causing Yugi's Guard to be destroyed.

Yugi's points dropped by 500 and Goon three ended his turn.

Yugi drew again, now worried. "King's Knight, in attack mode and I equip him with Mage Power!"

Yugi's King's Knight's attack points grew by 1000, to 2600.

"King's Knight! Attack Flame Swordsman!" The Swordsman vanished and Goon 1 lost 800 life points. "Next."

Goon 1 glared at Yugi, drew and played a card in defence mode and a card face down and ended his turn. Goon 2 summoned a second monster, a Dark Blade, in defence mode and switched his Gearfried to Defence mode too. Goon 3 sacrificed his Mad Dog for an angrier looking dog with 2300 attack points. "Your move Muto."

Yugi drew, "I summon Queen's Knight in attack mode and because I have both King's and Queen's Knight on the field, I can summon Jack's Knight from my deck." The third knight appeared on the field. "Jack's Knight! Attack Dark Blade!"

The knight blew up.

"Queen's Knight, attack Gearfried!"

The Iron Knight blew up.

"King's Knight! Attack his Crazed Dog of Darkness!"

The dog blew up but King's Knight's attack decreased to 2000.

"Huh?" Yugi asked, confused.

"When my Crazed Dog is destroyed he takes 600 attack points from the attacking monster." Goon 3 laughed, "You done?"

"Your move." Yugi replied.

"I flip my monster face up," Goon 1 crowed, "It's Man Eater Bug! And I chose to destroy your King's Knight!" Yugi's King's Knight exploded. "Next."

"I activate Monster Reincarnation, bringing a monster back to my hand and I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight!" The Iron Knight returned to the field, "Attack Queen's Knight!" Yugi lost another 400 life points as his Knight died. "Next!"

Goon 3 drew and frowned, I play one card face down and end my turn.

Yugi's turn again and he drew, "I play Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two cards." Yugi drew again and smiled slightly, "I summon the Dark Magician Girl and activate Monster Reborn to bring back King's Knight!"

The two monsters appeared on the field. "Dark Magician Girl! Attack Man Eater Bug!" Goon 1 lost 1600 points. "Jack's Knight attack Gearfried!" Goon 2 lost 100 points, "King's Knight! Attack the first Goon directly!" The goon was out. "Next!" Yugi called, looking at Goon 2 who had taken on a scowl.

He drew, "A card in defence mode and it's your move." The goon looked at the one next to him who was looking a little less certain.

"I activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Royal Decree!" The goon growled, "And play a card in defence mode!" He glared at Yugi, "Your move Muto."

Yugi drew and froze, energy surging up his arm. Yugi grinned as he looked at the card, "I sacrifice Dark Magician Girl, King's Knight and Jack's Knight, for Obelisk the Tormentor!" The huge blue God of the Obelisk appeared behind Yugi, "Obelisk! Attack his face down card!" Goon 2's monster exploded, "Your move."

Goon 2 looked furious now as he drew, "I activate Monster Reborn to bring back Gearfried and switch him to defence mode. Next."

Goon 3 drew, "I play another card face down in defence mode and end my turn."

Yugi drew, summoning Kuriboh in defence mode. "Obelisk! Attack Goon 3's right hand monster!"

The monster exploded.

"Your move."

Goon 2 attempted to attack Kuriboh with his Gearfried but Yugi activated Mirror Force, destroying Gearfried.

Goon 3 activated Card of Sanctity, allowing all three Duellists to draw until they had six cards in their hand and played a monster in defence mode.

Yugi's turn again and he summoned Alpha the Magnet Warrior, "Obelisk! Attack Goon 2!"

"I activate Stop Attack!" Goon 3 growled. Yugi's Obelisk, susceptible to magic cards for one turn, switched to Defence Mode.

"Two cards face down and I end my turn."

Goon 2 had to pass, Goon 3 played another defence monster.

Yugi's turn again, "I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior in attack mode. Obelisk, attack Goon 2!" The goon's points hit zero. "Next." Yugi looked at Goon 3 who growled as he drew.

"I sacrifice three of my monsters to summon Gilford the Lightening!" The lightening warrior appeared on the field, "And because I summoned him using three tributes, he can destroy one monster, and I chose Obelisk!"

The lightening hit, but Obelisk stayed where he was. Yugi frowned as something hit something else with a loud clang, "Obelisk isn't affected by Monster Effects." Yugi clarified as the Goon glared at him, as if accusing him of cheating.

"Fine, Gilford attack's Kuriboh!"

_Sorry Kuriboh._ Yugi thought as the brown fuzzball exploded.

"I end my turn."

Yugi drew, "I summon Gamma, the Magnet Warrior." The third Magnet Warrior appeared, "I tribute Alpha and Beta to activate Obelisk's special ability, Obelisk's Rage!" The two monsters vanished and Obelisk's attack points kept growing until the system gave up and just gave it the infinity symbol.

"Obelisk! Attack Gilford the Lightening!"

The God's fist hit the monster, who exploded, and carried on to the Duellist, whose points hit zero as he was knocked flying across the warehouse.

Yugi's Duel Disk deactivated, having won the Duel. He turned to Hirutani as he shuffled his deck and replaced it in the deck holder. "Next?"

Hirutani threw the three map cards at him, taking Yugi over the amount he needed, but smirked before waving the next three forward, nodding instead to a bunch who were stood to one side.

They closed in before Yugi realised what was going on and a pained cry rose from the teen as they attacked.

"Enough!" Hirutani held up his hand, "We need him able to Duel."

The goons backed away and Yugi picked himself up, wincing in pain. "You cheat!" Yugi groaned, his head spinning from being kicked so hard.

"Well, we could do worse, we could do this!"

"No!" Yugi realised what he was going to do a split second before he did it. "NO! DON'T!"

A horrible cracking sound followed by the sound of gold pieces hitting the floor followed as Hirutani slammed the Puzzle into a pillar, causing it to shatter. "The idiots with the money didn't specify what state it had to be in and they've all gone off to gather Map Cards, they didn't trust that we beat you." Hirutani threw the piece attached to the chain to one side, "Now, are you ready for the next match?"

Yugi was stunned, staring at the floor where the chain and top piece were sitting.

"Muto, do we have to knock some more sense into you to get you to duel us again?" Hirutani growled.

Yugi blinked and then glared at the gang leader who just smirked. Muto looked as frightening as a hissing kitten.

"You don't scare me, Muto, the buyers didn't specify what condition the Puzzle had to be in. If a shrimp like you can put it together, so can they." Hirutani smirked, "You two, pick em up, and if you miss a single piece…" Hirutani didn't need to complete the sentence, his goons moved to do so. "Now, your next opponents…"

Yugi wheeled around as Hirutani's eyes narrowed and there was the sound of a fight from behind him.

Two blondes, one male, one female, with Death Glares on their faces that could give Kaiba a run for his money, had just finished kicking the arses of the goons behind Yugi. Yugi couldn't help but grin when he saw who it was.

"Hirutani." The male growled, coming to Yugi's side.

"Wheeler." Hirutani growled in return, "Who's your girlfriend?"

"Mai Valentine." She introduced herself, "And I'm not his girlfriend."

" _Yet."_ Joey secretly hoped.

"You alright Yuge?" Joey asked, not turning from glaring at Hirutani.

"I'm fine but he…"

"I saw." Joey growled. "Give it back, you big ape."

"I'm glad you came, I wanted a word with you." Hirutani growled.

"I'm still not interested in rejoining your little group." Joey growled, earning himself an odd look from Mai and a smile from Yugi, "I just came to help out a friend. Now give back those Puzzle pieces."

"I don't see why I should."

"I'll do you a deal." Joey said, thinking quickly, "Yuge, you trust me, right?"

Yugi nodded.

"You and me Duel, I lose I rejoin your Gang. I win, you give back the Puzzle pieces."

"I need to beat Muto to get paid, you and Muto against me and someone of my choice, you lose I get the Puzzle and you rejoin the gang, you win I hand over the Puzzle pieces and you're free to go."

"I'm not sitting on the sidelines." Mai warned Joey.

"Fine, I'll play three on three." Hirutani smirked, "Do you accept?"

"Mai…"

"Don't start Joey, I'm in this as well. I was from the moment I helped you with that goon."

"Yuge?"

"I'll Duel."

"We accept Hirutani." Joey growled.

"Fine, you and you." Hirutani pointed to the smartest two of his goons, "You're with me."

Six Duel Disks activated, "Let's Duel!"


	7. Teamwork

From the stairwell they'd been able to see Yugi's duel, and more then once Joey had had to watch himself so he didn't give their position away by cheering.

They'd carried on down slowly right up until the thugs had tried to take Obelisk out with Gilford the Lightening, teaching Joey never to even attempt that move as he jumped over the side of the stairs, landing on one of the huge metal crates.

Mai had rolled her eyes at him and finished descending the stairs as Joey leapt down and the thugs attacked Yugi.

Mai had held Joey back from storming into the middle of it there and then and something had exploded.

Luckily it had been just as Hirutani was calling off his goons. Joey and Mai edged their way towards the row of goons who had just settled behind Yugi again as the teen picked himself up, wincing as he did so.

"You cheat." Yugi groaned, Joey kept his eyes on Hirutani the whole time, too familiar with the Boss Monkey to trust that he wouldn't pull something else.

"Well, we could do worse, we could do this!"

"No!" Joey saw Hirutani moving but didn't quite grasp what was happening, unlike Yugi. "NO! DON'T!"

A horrible cracking sound followed by the sound of gold pieces hitting the floor followed as Hirutani slammed the Puzzle into a pillar, causing it to shatter. "The idiots with the money didn't specify what state it had to be in and they've all gone off to gather Map Cards, they didn't trust that we beat you." Hirutani threw the piece attached to the chain to one side, "Now, are you ready for the next match?"

Joey froze, stunned for a moment as the gold pieces glittered in the sunlight that filtered through dirty windows. _Is Yami alright?_

"Joey!" Mai hissed at him as Hirutani glared at Yugi, "Muto, do we have to knock some more sense into you to get you to duel us again?" Hirutani growled.

Joey and Mai attacked the goons behind as some moved away to grab the pieces and Hirutani started talking again. "Now, your next opponents…"

They finished kicking the goons arses in time for Yugi to turn around. Joey didn't return Yugi's grin as he took his place at his friend's side. "Hirutani." He growled.

"Wheeler." Joey had the pleasure of seeing surprise in Hirutani's eyes as he growled back, "Who's your girlfriend?"

"Mai Valentine." Mai had her 'I-don't-scare-easy' attitude she'd had fighting Marik thankfully, forcing Hirutani to consider her as a possible threat, or at least not a target, "And I'm not his girlfriend."

" _Yet."_ Joey secretly hoped. "You alright Yuge?" He didn't take his eyes from Hirutani, but could practically feel the relief rolling off of his friend.

"I'm fine but he…"

"I saw." Joey glared at the Gang Boss. "Give it back, you big ape."

"I'm glad you came, I wanted a word with you." Hirutani growled.

"I'm still not interested in rejoining your little group." Joey growled, reminding himself a little too late that there were things Mai didn't know about his past yet, "I just came to help out a friend. Now give back those Puzzle pieces."

"I don't see why I should."

"I'll do you a deal." Joey said, thinking quickly, "Yuge, you trust me, right?"

Yugi nodded.

"You and me Duel, I lose I rejoin your Gang. I win, you give back the Puzzle pieces."

"I need to beat Muto to get paid, you and Muto against me and someone of my choice, you lose I get the Puzzle and you rejoin the gang, you win I hand over the Puzzle pieces and you're free to go."

"I'm not sitting on the sidelines." Mai warned Joey.

"Fine, I'll play three on three." Hirutani smirked, "Do you accept?"

"Mai…" _Do you know what you're getting yourself into?_

"Don't start Joey, I'm in this as well. I was from the moment I help you with that goon." _This is still saner then Marik._

"Yuge?" _I need you to help me here._

"I'll Duel." _I'm in, I just hope you know what you're doing._

"We accept Hirutani." Joey growled. _Thanks guys._ The unspoken messages didn't have to be said vocally or mind to mind, they passed through the group anyway.

"Fine, you and you." Hirutani pointed to the smartest two of his goons, "You're with me."

Six Duel Disks activated, "Let's Duel!"

Six Duellists drew their first hands, "What's the order of play?" Yugi asked, looking at Hirutani.

"You, Kin," He pointed at goon Duellist to his left, "Wheeler, me, Valentine, Daiki." He pointed at the goon Duellist to his right.

"Fine." Yugi drew, energy surging up his arm and eyes widening, he couldn't use this God Card, he didn't speak Ancient Egyptian… "I play two cards face down and summon Giant Soldier of Stone in defence mode!" The large stone creature crouched in front of Yugi, "Kin, your move."

He drew, "Mataza the Zapper, in attack mode and I equip him with Fusion Sword Murasame Blade!" Mataza's attack points grew to 2100, "One card face down and I end my turn."

Joey didn't back down from his glaring contest with Hirutani as he drew, "Gearfried the Iron Knight, in attack mode and two cards face down. Your move Hirutani."

"Thanks, Wheeler." He drew, "I summon Cyber-Stien to the field in attack mode and play three cards face down." He mockingly bowed to Mai, "Your move."

Mai glared, "Harpie Lady and I activate Elegant Egotist, turning my Harpie, into the Harpie Lady Sisters!" The three Harpies did not look amused as they gave the thugs a most disgusted look. "Then I equip them with Cyber Shield and Rose Whip." The Sisters's attack points rose to 2450 on two and 2750 on the other.

"Nice move Mai!" Joey crowed and Mai grinned at him, "Next." She called, looking at Daiki.

He drew, "Two cards face down and end my turn."

The swords crashed down in front of Yugi, Joey and Mai as the turn came back to Yugi, who drew again, "I sacrifice my Giant Soldier of Stone for the Dark Magician Girl and activate Mage Power, raising her to 3000 attack points." Yugi frowned. "I end my turn."

Kin drew, "I summon Flame Swordsman. Mataza the Zapper attacks Gearfried the Iron Knight!"

"I activate Fairy Box!" Joey called. His Gearfried vanished into a whack a mole style box and kept popping it's head up. "I have to call Heads of Tails. If I call right, your attack points drop to zero."

"Fine." Kin growled as a huge virtual coin started spinning in mid air. "Get on with it."

"Heads."

The coin landed…

Heads up.

"Yes!" Joey crowed. Mataza the Zapper attacked and was destroyed.

"A card face down and it's your move." Kin growled.

Joey grinned and drew, "I play Release Restraint, freeing my Gearfried from his heavy armour and summoning Gearfried the Swordmaster!" The 2600 point Warrior monster appeared on the field. "Your move Boss Monkey." Joey smirked.

Hirutani looked surprisingly unworried, "I activate Altar for Tribute, sacrificing Flame Swordsman to increase my life points and activate Cyber-Stien's special ability."

Yugi suddenly looked worried.

"Yuge, what?" Joey asked, but was answered by the arrival of VWXYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon. "What the…?"

Hirutani's life points dropped by 5000.

"Cyber-Stien is incredibly rare." Yugi glared, "Forbidden too, where did you get one?"

"Yuge, a little help here?" Joey asked, completely clueless. Mai looked confused too.

"Cyber-Stien has the ability to summon **_ANY_** Fusion Monster from the Fusion Deck if you pay five thousand life points." Yugi said, still glaring.

"It's amazing what cards you can find online." Hirutani smirked. "And I'm guessing you know my Catapult Cannon can do." Yugi growled. "Not feeling like explaining, alright I'll show them, I remove your Dark Magician Girl from play!"

She vanished with a surprised yelp.

"And that leaves you wide open, Cyber-Stien!"

"Fairy box!" Joey yelped. "Tails!"

He'd called it right, so Yugi didn't take any damage.

"Fine, VWXYZ Catapult Cannon!"

"Heads!" Joey called.

The coin landed on Tails and Hirutani laughed as the Cannon fired at Yugi, sending him sprawling.

"Yuge!"

"Yugi!"

Yugi groaned as he sat up. "Ow."

"Yuge, are you alright?" Joey asked, concerned as Yugi staggered back to his place.

"Fine." Yugi replied, limping slightly but trying to give a reassuring smile.

Joey rolled his eyes, Yugi had obviously been hurt worse then Joey had accounted for. He hated the scripted fines that Yugi often gave when he was hurt but was so used to them by now that he decided to wait until they were out of here to rant at him.

"Valentine?" Hirutani looked annoyed but moved on.

Mai drew, "I summon Harpie Lady and activate Harpie Lady Phoenix Formation."

"What does that do?" Hirutani snorted.

"It allows me to destroy a monster for every Harpie I have on the field and you take damage equal to their attack points." She smirked, "And guess what? I have four Harpies on the field. I chose to destroy VWXYZ Catapult Cannon and Cyber-Stien!"

The two monsters exploded, but Hirutani's life points went up to 2100.

"What?" Joey growled.

"I activated Nutrient Z and Numinous Healer, increasing my points by 5000." Hirutani laughed. "I'm not gone that easily." He smirked at Mai, "You done yet?"

"Next." She growled.

Daiki drew, "I play a card in defence mode and end my turn." Hirutani glared at the goon who shrugged.

Back to Yugi, who drew, grinned and then frowned again.

"Yugi?" Mai asked.

He looked at her, then at the number of cards in his hand and frowned.

She got it.

"I play Monster Reborn to get my Giant Soldier of Stone back." Yugi called, the giant stone soldier crouched in front of him again. "And I end my turn."

Kin drew next, "Fear from the Dark, in attack mode!" The 1700 attack point Zombie monster appeared on the field. "I activate The First Sarcophagus!"

Joey frowned, he knew this combo, but he couldn't remember what the monster it summoned was.

"I end my turn."

Joey drew, "I pay 500 points to have Fairy Box remain active." Joey's points dropped to 3500, "Gearfried the Swordmaster! Attack Hirutani!"

"I activate Skull Dice!"

"I play Graceful Dice!"

Skull Dice rolled a six, while Graceful Dice only rolled a three, taking the Swordmaster down to 1300 and Hirutani down to 800.

"Next." Joey growled, annoyed.

Kin activated The Second Sarcophagus.

Hirutani drew, "I play Bowganian in attack mode and equip it with 7 Complete." It grew to 2000. "And end my turn."

"It's a shame about that." Mai said, smirking, "I play Card of Sanctity, allowing all of us to draw until we have six cards in our hands."

Yugi grinned slightly and Joey caught it, knowing exactly what was being planned.

"I activate Graveyard's Grasp, which allows me to discard all the cards I just drew." Kin called. Mai frowned, not quite understanding, but Yugi finally twigged what he was up to and it was too late to stop him, unless they could defeat him this turn.

"I summon another Harpie Lady and all my girls attack you, Daiki." His monster died and Daiki's life points hit zero. "Next. Oh wait, I think it's you Yugi."

Yugi nodded and drew, "Mai, may I?"

"Go for it."

"I sacrifice three of Mai's Harpies to summon Slipher the Sky Dragon!" At 6000 attack points, Kin was looking understandably worried.

"Slipher! Destroy Fear from the Dark!"

Kin's lie points hit zero too.

"Your move Joey."

Joey looked at Yugi with a slight frown as his life points dropped to 3000 because of Fairy Box. Was Yugi aware of how much he'd sounded like the Pharaoh then? He drew, summoning Blue Flame Swordsman.

"I attack!"

"Waboku!" Hirutani saved himself for one turn.

"I end my turn."

Hirutani growled audibly, knowing he was in trouble in this match, signalling to those with the Puzzle pieces to get out of the warehouse behind his back. He could see about half payment if he gave the buyers the Puzzle.

They left without the Duellists seeing, not that it was easy to see around the huge red dragon that now took up almost all the available space.

"I summon Gagagigo!" The Reptile monster .lasted as long as it took Slipher to charge up his second mouth effect. "I end my turn and Bowganian takes 600 from all of you."

"My move and I end this." Mai growled, "Harpie Ladies!"

One blew up his Machine monster and the other wiped out the last of his life points.

"Now hand over the Puzzle." Joey growled.

"Can't." Hirutani smirked. "It's already gone."

"What?" Yugi yelped.

"What's gone?" Bakura asked, coming into the warehouse, carrying something... some things… some things that were gold and shiney… "Honestly Muto, you don't take very good care of this."

"B…Bakura?" Joey saw Yugi tense, limping between his friends, the teen and Hirutani.

"I want to win it from you, Muto, for that you happen you have to have it." Bakura smirked at Hirutani, "Which means I get to deal with this thug."

"How dare you?" Hirutani snarled, attacking the teen, who dropped the Puzzle pieces, goaded Hirutani away from them and then dragged the Gang Boss into the Shadow Realm.

"What just?" Mai asked as Yugi snatched up the Puzzle pieces.

"Let's just go before Bakura decides we're next." Joey said.

Mai didn't look happy, but they walked (or limped) out into a snow coated Domino.

"You should go to a hospital, Yuge." Joey said, when the three of them were far enough away to be 'safe' (or as safe as they got).

"It's only bruised." Yugi shrugged, then he reached into his back pocket, "Here, I have an extra one." He said offering a Map Card.

"Yugi Muto!" Joey growled in despair. Then the teen shrugged, "I give up with you, I'm not taking it."

Mai and Yugi grinned at ach other, "Mai, don't I owe you for those Star Chips?"

"Why you're right Yugi." Mai pretended to suddenly remember, "And this takes me up to six."

"And Joey's only got another couple of hours hasn't he?" Yugi asked.

"Alright, alright!" Joey growled and took the offered card. "You need one more too?" He asked Mai, it finally sinking in.

"Yeap, see you in a couple of hours." Mai wandered off.

"Fine, let's find me an opponent to crush while you fix the Puzzle." Joey growled, stalking off, with Yugi in tow.


	8. Match Ups

Joey was annoyed.

The only challenge he'd been able to find was an odd Duellist who'd challenged him only to throw the Duel on the first turn so he could get out of the snow.

They'd picked up Tea and Tristan who had both tried to badger Yugi into getting himself checked over. He hadn't because for some reason he was having trouble with the Puzzle.

They'd had to double back to the warehouse to check there had been no pieces left behind and only when Yugi had been satisfied that they had **every** piece had they gone on to the finals.

Apparently they were the last two to arrive. Kaiba had arrived first, followed by Mai, then two guys who just had to be trouble because they were unknowns, then Bakura who defiantly was trouble, except he had helped them out earlier… then Kari and her friend and now Yugi and Joey's group.

Yugi wasn't paying much attention to anything besides, "Hi" and "Yes." He was to deep into trying to fix the Puzzle. It was worrying Joey slightly, Yugi could take anything between eight years and five minutes fixing it.

They had one night, the quarter finals would begin at ten tomorrow morning, but they all had to be here now, to register and confirm they had the Map Cards and so on and so forth, and for transport to the place of the finals.

At least it wasn't that Island again. Joey was beginning to hate small islands, they were jinxed. Joey was actually wondering if Rich-Boy was keeping them together in order to confuse the hell out of them as to where the actual finals were being held.

Mai was having a conversation with Kari and Robyn, Bakura was off to one side, keeping an eye on everyone, Kaiba and Mokuba were off somewhere and the two men were just hovering, not helping anyone's nerves, but at least staying clear of Yugi who was being guarded by Joey, Tristan and Tea, not that you'd know if you didn't know the three in question, they'd just gotten good at it in the three years they'd had to.

A satisfying click and Yugi picked up another piece.

The only thing Joey could think of as to why it was taking so long was that last time Yugi had reassembled the Puzzle it had been in the middle of a raging fire and if Joey had learnt anything about the Millennium Items it was that they had no great urge to be destroyed. It would have helped Yugi along if only to save itself.

Mai left the two girls to choose their food from the buffet and came over with a slight frown, "Kari and Robyn mentioned they'd had a run in with Rare Hunters, apparently they quite like the look of Robyn's Wingweaver and Kari's Angelic Mage."

"Are they alright?" Joey frowned and looked across to the two girls who looked mostly relaxed, although Robyn seemed to be questioning the other girl mercilessly as Kari tried to answer and eat at the same time.

"Apparently Sorcerer of Dark Magic took care of them." Mai said with a small, smug look as she glanced at the two.

"Taken a liking have we?" Joey teased.

"Ah shut up Wheeler." Mai mock glared, "It's just nice to have female competition for a change, I mean fighting you was all well and good Tea, but I've seen Ironhide duel and trust me when I say she'd take you easily." Mai turned to Yugi, "How's it coming?"

Yugi looked up for a second, before swapping the piece in his hands for one on the pile, "Slower then I'd like." He sighed, "I'll get it fixed." He shrugged, acting a lot calmer then he felt.

"Good luck." Mai smiled at him, "I wonder how much longer we'll have to wait for Kaiba to show up."

"Rich-Boy's probably hanging it out, too good to mingle with the mortals." Joey snorted derisively.

Mai noticed the attitude shift as the two unknowns approached, having finished conversing with Bakura who was giving them a rather foul glare, noticed the way Joey and Tristan subtly shifted between Yugi, Mai, Tea and the two men now approaching. She'd seen this before, though last time Yugi had been a lot scarier with the approach of Marik, or who they'd thought was Marik…

She'd heard the rumours, of the two Yugis, some duelling circuits said he was possessed, others said that there was two of them, there was even a small amount of people who thought that the Yugi that Duelled was an alien that kidnapped the real Yugi every time he was in a Duel.

Mai had seen both faces of Yugi herself on more then one occasion, the most recent being the soft Yugi that had trusted her from the beginning, the one that had stood up to Panik for her, and the harsh, cold Yugi who had scared Bakura off during the last Tournament, had defeated Panik, had crushed her in Duellist Kingdom once what she considered the 'normal' Yugi had let him out.

Now the 'other Yugi' wasn't coming out, and she had a feeling it was because of the smashed Puzzle. It had been what Bakura and Marik had been after and it had been Yugi who had duelled earlier, instead of the 'other Yugi,' was that why Yugi was so intent on getting it finished? To have his 'other side' free again.

Was Yugi really possessed?

The two men stopped, frowned as they looked at Yugi, then turned away to talk to the two girls.

Mai saw Yugi's eyes narrow, still Yugi, but a little bit of the trusting lost in wariness born of too many villains coming after him, not as paranoid as the 'other Yugi' but was it really paranoia if people were out to get you?

"What do you think Yuge?" Joey asked quietly.

"I think… I should be wary." Yugi hesitated, glancing at Mai before returning his gaze to his puzzle, there it was, the subtle hint that Mai didn't know everything yet.

Joey's growl and glare at the two men who were backing away from the two English girls with disgusted looks on their faces told Mai just how wary she should be of them.

"I'll go speak to the girls. Robyn's Japanese isn't great." Mai said, leaving the group.

Mai started speaking rapidly to Kari and Robyn as Kaiba walked in, giving Joey no time to ask Yugi exactly what he thought of the two.

"All the Finalists are here and the draws for the quarter finals will begin shortly." Kaiba growled as Roland came in, his eyes sweeping the finalists.

Joey recognised the machine that rose from the platform; it was similar to the one that had been on the last blimp. "Each of you was assigned a number when you arrived." Joey's hand went into his pocket and came back out with his scrunched up number seven. "I will now draw to see who will play whom in the quarter finals."

The machine started, reminding Kari of the lottery back home.

The first ball came out.

"Number five."

"Me." Bakura spoke, no longer Ryou but another voice altogether.

The next ball, "Number one."

Kaiba smirked at Bakura who returned the look.

"Seto Kaiba will play Ryou Bakura in the first match."

Yugi and Joey looked at each other as the next ball dropped.

"Number four."

"That's me." One of the unknowns spoke up.

"And number eight."

"Me." Yugi said, not liking the look the unknown was giving him.

"Johnson Ford will play Yugi Muto."

 _Well at least I know his name now._ Yugi thought.

"Number two."

"That's me." Mai spoke up, looking a little nervous.

"Number six?"

"Me." Kari spoke up, looking towards the Harpie Duellist who gave her a reassuring grin.

 _That should be an interesting match._ Yugi thought, aware of the continuing stare from Johnson.

"And finally numbers 3 and 7. Xuan Li will play Joseph Wheeler in the last match of the quarter finals.

Yugi's eyes widened as the two glared at each other and Yugi sensed something flare within Xuan. Of the two unknowns he was certain Joey had gotten the more dangerous of the two.

Joey seemed to be aware of it too. He'd realised it in the shift in Yugi's posture and the slight change of expression on his face when he'd sensed something.

"You will have until nine am, when we will arrive at the sight of the finals. Until then prepare for some of your toughest Duels ever." Kaiba stalked out with a passing glare at Bakura.

Mai and Kari nodded at each other and headed off, Johnson and Xuan gave the group one last look and stalked off, closely followed by Bakura and finally Joey, Tea and Tristan walked Yugi and the Puzzle pieces to his room.

"Joey, I…"

"Xuan right? You felt something from him." Joey acknowledged before Yugi could finish. Yugi nodded, frustrated.

"I wish Yami was here." Yugi sighed, holding the Puzzle he'd completed so far close, "He'd know what to do."

"We'll take it as it comes Yuge." Joey shrugged, "Besides, he might be back with us by tomorrow. You're about halfway done aren't you?"

"Something like that." Yugi acknowledged, giving the Puzzle a cursory look.

"I brought your plate along." Tristan said, dumping the plate of untouched buffet food on the small table in Yugi's room, "We'll leave you to finish up."

"You can't all crash in Joey's room again!" Yugi protested.

"Why not?" Tristan laughed, "Who knows, Kaiba might even have had the sense to have extra rooms this time. We'll see you in the morning."

Yugi nodded and let the Puzzle pieces fall from his cupped hands onto another bit of the table as his friends stepped outside the door.

Click.

Another piece.

Click.

Another piece.

Click…

Now he was on his own, thinking things though without interruption the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle were coming together much easier. He always had worked on Puzzles easier and faster alone.

Click.

Click.

Yugi had given up trying to rush it, the Puzzle had been falling apart in his hands when he'd done that, and it seemed to be going faster now he was more relaxed or as relaxed as he got in situations like this one.

As much as he wanted Yami back, it did Yugi time to think.

Click.

About things like the weird magic he'd been sensing from Robyn.

Click.

Like the strange feeling from Kari.

Click.

Like the magic he'd sensed from Xuan and Johnson, so alike that from the blonde English girl but much darker…

Click.

The last piece…

Like why the strange magic was so much unlike his own, and yet familiar…

Click.

It took less then half a heartbeat for Yami to pull Yugi into the corridor between Soul Rooms.

"Yugi! Thank Ra you're alright!"

"I'm fine." Yugi said hastily, "Are you alright?" The Pharaoh was concerned about him, yes, but he wasn't looking too great himself.

"I'm fine, fine!" Yami threw up his arms, that action alone showing just how worried he'd been, Yami didn't normally lose his cool like this, "I'm more worried about you! What happened?"

Yugi found himself examined via Shadow Magic as he explained, resulting in a worried Yami and a vaguely annoyed Yugi.

"You should have seen a Doctor." Yami said finally.

"I'm fine and you want to win."

"You're hurt and you're more important then some Tournament."

"If I go and see the onboard Doctor will you promise not to nag me?"

"I wasn't going to…" Yami stopped at a look from Yugi, "Maybe I was."

"Well?"

"I won't nag."

Yugi returned to his body and, wincing slightly, got to his feet, putting the chain of the Puzzle over his head and smiling slightly as he felt the familiar weight of the completed Puzzle and the comforting presence of his dark half.

Opening his door, Yugi had to step aside quickly as Joey staggered backwards, falling and landing on his butt. "Ouch."

"Oops, sorry Joey." Yugi laughed, helping him to his feet, then pausing, "What were you doing out there?"

"Uh, I… hey you completed it!" Joey changed the subject.

"Yeah." Yugi grinned, "I had to promise Yami I'd see the onboard Doctor before he'd promise not to nag me." _Thanks for looking out for me._

"Glad someone could knock some sense into you." _Don't mention it._

The two walked in comfortable silence for a moment, then Yugi asked aloud, "Where's Tea and Tristan?"

"Crashing in my room." Joey growled, "I lost rock, paper, scissors for the bed."

Yugi laughed,

"Is Yami ok?"

Yugi listened to something for moment, then frowned, "Yami says… wait a second…"

Red eyes replaced violet. "I wanted to thank you for protecting Yugi earlier."

"You two are my friends." Joey shrugged, "Did Yugi tell you about Johnson and Xuan?"

Yami nodded, "I'd've liked to get a measure of them myself but I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Yami replied, earning himself an eye roll from Joey, "A little tired, but fine."

'A little tired' didn't seem to sum up how exhausted Yami looked to Joey's eyes, but since he couldn't be sure how much of it was because he was in a beaten up body, he didn't say anything.

"So what do you think?" Joey grinned, trying to lighten the mood, You and me in the finals?"

Yugi regained control with a pained murmur and a slightly pained grin as he put his foot down too hard, "I dunno, I think Kari is itching for a match with you."

"I'm gunna play Mai in the semis." Joey had already decided.

Yugi just laughed as the door to the Infirmary slid open.

"Can I help you?" The Doctor asked.

* * *

Yami was glad when the Doctor was done poking and prodding his Hikari and they could settle in Yugi's room to sleep.

Joey was crashing on the sofa, having told Yugi that if Yugi didn't take the bed, Joey was going to steal his God Cards. Of all the different emotions Yami could sense from Yugi right now, gratitude and a sense of safety came the highest, gratitude to Joey for staying and a sense of safety from having Joey close and Yami back.

Yami was feeling two things at this moment of time, as Yugi tried to drift off, one was guilt. If he'd been able to stop them from taking the Puzzle, Yugi wouldn't have been hurt.

Wile the other was complete and utter exhaustion. The only reason Yami didn't gone to sleep already was that even with Joey sat on one of the beds, Yami hadn't felt safe until they'd gotten back to Yugi's room and locked the door.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Joey, in fact he trusted Joey with **both his and Yugi's life** which was a hard thing to gain, it was just he didn't feel safe when he didn't know what the new bad guys were like and with Bakura on the prowl.

He still couldn't believe that Bakura had gotten the Puzzle pieces back for Yugi when Hirutani's goons had tried to sneak out.

" _You have to sleep at some point Yami."_ Yugi scolded.

' _I know, I know.'_

" _I'm hurt, you're exhausted… why are you exhausted?"_

' _I used up a lot of energy trying to get through to you when Hirutani took the Puzzle.'_ Yami replied, leaving off, _I used up a lot more, fighting the Darkness away when he broke it._

" _Sorry."_

' _It wasn't your fault.'_

" _I…"_

' _Sleep Yugi, we've got a long day tomorrow.'_

" _G'night Yami."_

' _Sleep well Yugi.'_ Yami smiled as Yugi drifted off and soon followed, quite unwillingly, into sleep.


	9. Good Morrning

It was dark and cold when Yugi opened his eyes. He obviously wasn't on the blimp any more.

He wasn't hurt in anyway either though, so either he was dreaming or someone had healed him.

It was dark and cold and felt like the Shadows but different. It didn't hurt to be here, at least not as much, and the darkness curled around Yugi, latching onto him eagerly. If anything he didn't hurt, it just felt like he could curl up and go to sleep for a very long time…

Yugi's eyes widened and he shook his arms to rid them of the tendrils of darkness.

He couldn't sleep here, that much he knew, Yugi closed his eyes and focused his magic the way Yami had shown him, causing the darkness to retreat from his light for a moment before it danced around him, just waiting.

"Yami?" Yugi asked, mentally searching his Soul Room and what he could sense of the Puzzle and Yami's.

Fear, real fear surged down the link.

Yami was mortally afraid.

But of what? Yami didn't fear anything!

Yugi raced forward, realizing the presence he was sensing wasn't in one of the Soul Rooms, but out here, in the darkness too.

"Yami!" He wasn't a hundred percent sure of where the Pharaoh was, but following the sense of 'Yami.'

The Pharaoh looked shocked and actually took a step backwards when Yugi came into view.

"Yugi? But you… you shouldn't be here!" Yami's tone settled to a harsh one but Yugi could sense the fear and concern behind the tone. Yami shied away from Yugi's light and Yugi quickly toned it down.

"You need me." Yugi said, "I wouldn't have woken up here if you didn't."

"Yugi…"

**_Bringing your hikari here Pharaoh?_ **

Yugi gasped at the pain the harsh mental voice caused as it spoke.

**_Fine, then he can sleep here too!_ **

"No!" Yami yelled, determined to protect Yugi as the darkness surged in.

"Yami, close your eyes!" Yugi called, pulling all his magic together and letting his light flare, scaring the darkness away for a mere moment, flash blinding both yami and hikari

When Yugi was able to open his eyes again, he looked around to find they were back in Yugi's Soul Room. He sank onto his bed, exhausted.

"Are you alright?" Yami asked, concerned, a little of the fear still lingering.

"What was that?" Yugi asked, willing to sleep now that they were safe in the Soul Room.

"Nothing." Yami replied but without meeting his eyes.

"Yami." Yugi stared at his dark half, "What was it?"

Yami frowned and sighed, "It was nothing, honest."

"You were afraid. I've never sensed that much fear from you before. It had to be something." Yugi continued to stare at him.

"It was a nightmare." Yami shrugged.

"I can keep this up all night if I have to." Yugi yawned, "What. Was. That?"

"I don't know why it let us go." Yami shuddered, "I guess with the Puzzle whole, it can't keep us."

"Huh?"

"It doesn't matter." Yami shook his head, "We have more important and pressing things to worry about, like Xuan and Johnson."

"What're…" Yugi tensed as Yami stiffened. "What?"

"Someone's knocking on your door."

"I'd better wake up." Yugi left the soul room, waking up in a sore and stiff body, _"But you will tell me what in the name of the Gods that was!"_

Joey was already at the door, surprisingly alert considering it wasn't even morning yet. "Magic? You're sure?"

"Yeah, magic wand and all. I've seen plenty of magic, but waving wands around?" Tristan shook his head, "It's new." He shrugged, "Warn Yugi will ya? That Johnson looks like he might be more trouble then Yugi thought."

"Alright, I'll tell him in the morning."

"Joey?" Yugi saw his friend tense up as the sleepy question reached him. "What's wrong?"

"We've got trouble."

* * *

It was seven in the morning and it was breakfast time in the blimp.

Yugi, who had gotten very little sleep between Yami's nightmare, the warning about Johnson and Xuan and his own nightmares, was surprised to see Mai sat with Robyn, who was dressed all in blue today. Kari, who looked as awake as Yugi felt, was in jeans and t-shirt, grabbing a bowl of sugar… he was certain there was cereal under there.

"Morning!" Mai waved him over, "Where's Joey?"

"Getting up." Yugi rolled his eyes, knowing all too well what his friend was like, "Good morning." He bowed to Robyn.

"Hi, I'm Robyn, what's your name?" Robyn asked.

Halfway across the room, Kari had stopped, bowl of sugar still in hand, and would have face palmed if she'd had a free hand. Yugi grinned though.

"I'm Yugi, it's nice to meet you."

"Please to meet you too. You must be pretty good to get this far. I'm just taglong today."

Mai stared at the girl as Kari put her bowl down on the table and gave her friend an incredulous look. "Robyn, this is Yugi Muto! The King of Games!"

Robyn tilted her head, "Oh that sounds somewhat familiar. Aren't you the guy that the tall brunette said he would beat last time?"

"That was Seto Kaiba." Kari said in a despairing tone.

"The jerk you want to hire you?" Robyn glanced over to her friend, then glared at the bowl of sugar in front of her. "Kari!"

"It's breakfast!" Kari growled in Engish, her tone turning defensive, "And yes, the same guy." Sighing she turned back to Yugi, "I figured that the so called adults running this Tournament are going to run out of chocolate and sugar soon so I stockpiled some in my room if you want to grab a hot chocolate after the quarters. I'm Kari Ironhide, by the way."

"Sure. Thank you. You want a job at Kaiba Corp?" Yugi asked, as Tea entered the room, bright and breezy, and grabbed up two portions of fruit, one of which she dumped in front of Yugi.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that's insane." Robyn declared.

"It's too early in the morning for fruit." Kari replied as Joey walked into the room, gave it a bleary eyed look for a moment, then headed straight for the food table.

"This isn't early." Defended Robyn as she put a little bit of everything on her plate.

"Says the crazy morning bird." Kari said before tucking into the sugar pile.

"Why are the spectators more awake then the competitors today?" Mai laughed, "It looks like I'm the only one Duelling that's fully awake!"

"Kaiba was heading down to the control room, I bumped into him in the corridors," Yugi replied, tucking into the grapefruit without complaint, knowing Tea would yell at him if he didn't eat something healthy, "And I don't know where Bakura and the other two are."

Mai wondered briefly if he didn't know, or didn't want to know.

"Who had the last of the sugar!" Joey complained as he looked around at them, not even giving Tea a passing glance, completely unaware she'd hidden it.

Kari quickly made her sugar disappear underneath her milk.

"The wobbling pink stuff goes well with the toast, and it's sweet. Robyn pointed out.

Joey gave her a blank look, his English not up to translating that sentence. Robyn searched for the right Japanese and came out with, "Pink and toast good?"

Kari burst into giggles, "Robyn, you really need to learn more Japanese."

"Or Joey needs to get higher grades in English." Yugi laughed as Joey sat down with his pink on toast, grumbling slightly.

"I've only been learning for a week, it wasn't like I could bespell myself to know Japanese." Robyn said, "And I know the important one, "No more sugar."

Yugi and Mai laughed as Kari gave her friend another despairing look.

"If you're good enough to make the quarters, how come we haven't seen you before?" Tristan asked, having entered the room during the giggling fit and sitting down with some something brown on toast that Kari didn't dare ask about.

"I've only been living here a couple of months." Kari replied, "I moved to Domino just after the last Battle City." She frowned slightly at the slight shift in everyone's mood at the mention of it, "As Robyn said, I'm trying to get a job with Kaiba."

"And the English colleges were holding us hostage." Robyn added, causing Kari to grin and the others who understood it to look confused.

"Evil assessments and exams while the Tournaments were on." Kari explained.

Joey hissed at the word exams, making Yugi grin, "We're normally on holiday during the Tournaments so it's not an issue."

"You didn't miss much last time though." Joey said, "Just some random insanity."

"Fun time must come after studying." Robyn said, rolling her eyes. "Kari could have been winning money from those Tournaments, instead of working too many hours, besides random insanity is fun."

"Not this kind." Yugi shook his head. "Wait, winning prize money?" Yugi suddenly looked at Kari, "How far up were you back home?"

"Up?" Kari looked confused.

"What level were you playing at back home?" Mai explained.

"Oh, I think I had an invite for a National, that's what the logo looked like, but my parents took to throwing out all my mail after I told them I was planning on moving to Japan."

' _I want to play her.'_ Yami told Yugi who had to hide the grin. _'If she had an invite for the English nationals she'll be a real challenge and we haven't played her before.'_

" _We have other things to worry about first."_ Yugi replied.

"Yuge?" Joey poked him. "Earth to Yugi, what's the view like from up there?"

"Huh?"

Joey just shook his head, amused by his best friend as Kari asked, "You were miles away? Visit anywhere nice?"

"No." Yugi shook his head, "Just thinking."

"Don't think too hard, your brain will explode."

"I don't want brain on my toast thank you very much." Joey mock scowled, making the others laugh.

"Joey, the pink stuff is brains." Kari said when they'd settled down.

"Say what?" Joey pushed the plate away quickly.

"Kari!" Robyn said, throwing an orange at the girl.

"Ahhh! Fruit! Run away!" Kari ducked, finished her bowl of milky sugar and made a dive for it, failing to notice and, by extension avoid, the second orange thrown by Joey.

"Where did he get an orange?" Tristan asked. Yugi just pointed at Tea who was giving Joey a dirty look.

Kari glared at Joey and threw it back.

"Joey, I don't think we should have a food fight in the…" Yugi got a banana to the face and Yami took over with a grin, not the nice kind either.

Joey spotted the scheming look and gulped, attempting to make a hasty exit.

Robyn ducked under the table, taking the grapes with her and started throwing them randomly.

Joey was so busy avoiding Yami that he didn't notice Kari with a piece of grapefruit until it was too late.

"Ha, got you eep!" Kari eeped as someone got her with a mango.

Mai had given up being one of the sane ones and joined in.

It was at this moment that Seto Kaiba walked in and stood for several moments in disbelief before he was forced to dodge an erratic kiwi fruit.

Kari froze and promptly got a second mango splattered all over her t-shirt.

"Wheeler!" Kaiba growled.

It was at that exact moment Yami decided he was going to lob a fruit at Kaiba, which unfortunately for the CEO was a little too high, hit the wall and fell down onto the teen, who instantly glared at the Pharaoh.

Robyn rolled out from under the table and threw a grape at him. "Jerk." She declared, before grabbing Kari and walking out of the room.

"I would have thought the King of Games would possess a bit more maturity then the common rabble." Kaiba glared at Yami who smirked back.

" _Yami, down."_ Yugi scolded, _"You can fight him later. I need to get changed!"_

Yugi regained control of his body as Kaiba stalked off with a single piece of toast.

"That was my toast!" Joey growled.

"Well at least you don't have to eat brains any more."

"Yeah, you would have turned into a zombie."

Joey shuddered in memory of Bonz, "Ummm, does anyone have a clean t-shirt I can borrow?"

"Not in your size." Yugi replied, shaking his head.

"Sorry, I only packed enough for over night." Tristan shook his head.

"Great, I'm going to be covered in fruit all day."

"Well you did start it." Tristan laughed.

"No I didn't."

"Did."

"Didn't."

"Did."

"Didn't."

Mai, Tea and Yugi left the two to it.

* * *

' _Yugi!'_

Yugi relinquished control at Yami's urgent call and Tea and Mai gave him a questioning look. "I think you two should go and get changed." Yami growled slightly, "I'll be with you shortly."

Tea nodded and the two headed down the corridor.

"You can come out now." Yami called, "It's just you and me."

"It never is, is it though?" The robed man asked. "It's never just you against someone."

"Which one are you, Johnson or Xuan?" Yami snorted, sensing Yugi's wariness about the fact the guy knew about the two of them. "There's no point in hiding your identity now."

The robed guy snorted, throwing back the hood to reveal the brown hair and green eyes of Johnson, Yami stared him down.

"So, what are you after? Fame, glory, power?"

"Nothing so base, just your Puzzle." Johnson smirked, "Or should I say, your host's Puzzle."

' _Yugi stay in your Soul Room.'_ Yami practically ordered and felt relieved when Yugi's Soul Room door slammed shut. Yugi was safe in there. "Who sent you?"

"You wound me, you think I'm not smart enough to come up with this plan myself?"

"I think that you're either Xuan's pawn or you're both working for someone higher up."

Johnson grew angry for a moment, then snorted, "It's true we both have a Master, but we have our own plans now."

"So you got smart?" Yami goaded. "Decided you'd go after a bigger power?"

Johnson's face clouded and he drew a stick, pointing it at Yami. Yami, in response, called the Shadows, which darkened the area.

"What's going on?" Joey asked , coming around the corner.

Johnson put the wand away. "Your Puzzle will be ours, have no doubt about that."

He stalked off and Joey glared as he passed before turning to Yami, "You alright pal?"

"Fine, I want to check on Tea and Mai." Yami said, glad to have Joey at his side as they walked down the corridors.

"So, you got to meet the bad guy face to face, finally." Joey snorted, "What do you think?"

"I think I'm going to have to be careful and so are you."

Joey groaned, "Why are these things never normal?"

"Just be glad we've got them, not Mai or Kari." _Even though I'd rather you didn't have to fight them either._

Joey nodded tensely at that, not hearing Yami's thought.

Then the sound of running footsteps charging down the corridor slammed into them. "Oh! I'm sorry, I've been looking for Joey." Robyn said, "I'm sorry about the food fight, here's a clean t-shirt." She said, dumping a plastic wrapped piece of cotton into Joey's hands. "See you at the matches!" Then she ran off again.

"What was that?" Joey asked. "And what is this?"

"It appears to be a Kaiba Corp logoed t-shirt." Yami said with a perfectly straight face.

Joey glared at him, "You're really helpful today aren't you?" He growled, Yami just smirked. Joey paused. "How did she know I didn't have a clean t-shirt?"

"Guessed?" Yami suggested.

"I repeat, helpful." Joey glared again.

"A cute girl decided to give you a present and you're acting like it could suck out your soul, Joey." Yugi said, taking control again.

"She was cute wasn't she?" Joey grinned, now distracted from being annoyed at Yami by the thought of a cute girl. Joey smirked, "Kari seemed to be into you."

"She's a fan girl I think." Yugi waved the comment aside.

"I dunno, she could have been worse, I mean look at some of the fan girls you've had throwing themselves on you." Yugi shuddered, "She could be much worse."

"Still…" Yugi paused as he knocked on Mai's door, "Mai, it's me and Joey." Yugi turned back to Joey, "Kari's nice enough, but I'm always wary of fan girls, besides I don't get a look in until Yami's played her at least once anyway. He's already said he wants to… hi Mai." Yugi said as the door slid open, allowing them entrance to the room where Tea had borrowed one of Mai's tops and the two girls were already changed.

"You alright?" Mai asked. Yugi nodded.

"Yuge, magic check please." Mai and Tea looked confused as Joey held out the t-shirt.

"Joey she brought it in the shop five minutes ago, I really doubt she did anything to it."

"I repeat, magic check please."

"What's this?" Mai asked.

Yugi rolled his eyes, "Robyn apologized to Joey and brought him a t-shirt. Joey there's no magic here just put it on!" The two girls turned around as Joey swapped t-shirts.

"I would ask how she knew my size, but I don't think I want to know." Joey commented after trying on the extremely non-magical t-shirt.

"Girl sense." Mai said, developed after days of shopping.

"Shouldn't you be getting changed, Yugi?" Tea asked, concerned as she looked at her watch.

"I'll have to go back to my room." Yugi said, "No non-magical t-shirt for me."

"You're not going to let me live this down are you?"

Yugi shook his head and exited before Joey could catch him.

" _Ouch."_ Yugi winced as he put his bad foot down, _"That hurt."_

' _Sorry.'_

" _Why? It wasn't you who started the food fight."_ Yugi replied as he hobbled down the corridor. _"Besides…will you warn me before you do that?"_ Yugi snapped as Yami seized control and glared at Bakura.

"I don't have time for this." Yami growled.

"I just thought I'd warn you. Your new friend has magic of her own."

"Which one?" Yami asked, "Wait, why are **you** warning me?"

Bakura just smirked, "I'd've thought the Pharaoh would want to know that someone who is a potential friend is possibly dangerous."

"Yes, but why are **YOU** warning me? What possible interest could you have?" Yami growled.

"Because in five thousand years I have never met anyone with a worse memory for faces."

"What?"

Bakura chose that exact moment to vanish on the spot, leaving a confused Pharaoh in the corridor. _'What was that about?'_

" _Yami, getting changed?"_ Yugi asked, _"And what did Bakura mean he's never met anyone with a worse memory for faces?"_

' _One of those girls, has a link to my past.'_

" _You do realise Bakura is just trying to psyche you out."_

' _Shouldn't he be trying to psyche Kaiba out first?'_

" _Can anyone psyche Kaiba out?"_

' _Good question.'_

" _That wasn't a challenge Yami."_

Yami sulked as he swapped over again, allowing Yugi to get changed before heading back towards Mai's rooms. _"Are you done sulking yet."_

' _I never sulk.'_

" _Sure and Bakura is the King of England."_

' _Don't give him ideas!'_

Yugi just laughed at that.

' _Besides I don't think Kari and Robyn would be happy if Bakura was their King.'_

" _So if one of them is connected to your past, which one do you think it is?"_

' _I don't know.'_ Yami replied, _'Kari's in the Tournament.'_

" _But Robyn's been talking to us the most."_

Speaking of the two girls, Kari, who was now wearing something with lacy arms and receiving a lecture of some sort, in English, from Robyn, something about warm clothes and snow, as the two girls headed down to the place they needed to disembark. Glaring, Robyn pulls a misshapen woollen thing out of her bag and pulled it over Kari's head just before they turned the corner.

' _Kari might be shy, neither of them probably knows anything anyway.'_ Yami sighed, _'Just be glad neither of them seem to have yamis.'_

" _I guess we'll just have to wait and ow!"_ Yugi yelped both audibly and mentally as Joey grabbed him and then let go quickly.

"Sorry Yuge. I forgot." Joey backed away quickly. "You ready for this?"

"As ready as I get." Yugi nodded.

"Let's go."

* * *

Joey glanced around and saw most people were disregarding the cold weather. Robyn looked rather strange wrapped up in hat, scarf and coat and seemed to be bouncing on the spot to keep warm.

Kari on the other hand…

Joey ducked a snowball.

"Weren't you immature enough earlier?" Kaiba growled.

Kari stopped instantly. Fortunately Yugi, who'd seen the next thing coming had dragged Joey away and Robyn had prevented another incident by making sure Kari didn't get another snowball.

The Stadium was open topped, which had allowed the snow to pile up and had been pushed to the sides to make space for the Duellists who were competing. Roland, Kaiba's right hand man, would be officiating, which somehow didn't surprise Yugi and Joey in the least and Kaiba and Bakura were first on the cleared platform.

"Are all Quarter Finalists here and accounted for?" Roland asked.

Johnson and Xuan were the last to give the affirmative.

"We will now begin the Quarter Finals of the Second Battle City Tournament." Roland continued, "Ryou Bakura will play Seto Kaiba in the first match. Are the Duellists ready."

Bakura nodded, a smug smirk on his face.

"Let's just get it over with." Kaiba looked bored.

"Bakura to move first."

"Let's Duel!"

Bakura drew, his smug look not shifting, "I play two cards face down and end my turn."

"Is that all?" Kaiba snorted, as the spectators for this match ranged themselves around the Duelling arena. "This Duel won't see it's third turn, I activate Polymerization, fusing the two Thunder Dragon in my hand, into Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon."

"Yeah, go big brother!" Mokuba cheered.

The huge redy orange and blue twin headed dragon like thing appeared on the field. "Attack him!"

Bakura just rolled his eyes, "As if it would be that easy, Kaiba, I activate Fearful Earthbound and Call of the Earthbound!" The first took five hundred points from Kaiba for calling an attack, the second… "I can direct Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon's attack wherever I want and I think I'll have him attack you!" Kaiba lost another 2800, bringing him down to 700 already. "Are you done wiping yourself out yet?"

"Three cards face down and it's your move."

Bakura's smirk widened.

" _Yami!"_

The shadows rose as the thing hanging from a rope around Bakura's neck started glowing.

Yugi swapped with Yami, Joey hissed, Tea blanched, Tristan growled, Mai looked vaguely sick and Bakura's smug look got worse.

The two mages or whatever they were looked amused, as if they'd wanted to see something like this and of the two girls, Robyn looked like she'd expected something like this, which she couldn't possibly have done, and Kari was frowning, not an angry frown, but a confused one.

Kaiba was the only one choosing to ignore the weirdness.

"You know what's happening?" Bakura asked.

"I don't believe in your weird mumbo jumbo so just make your move." Kaiba growled.

The shadows danced as Bakura laughed, "Even now you deny everything." The shadows weaved around Bakura like a playful puppy, "Just be aware, that this is no longer just a game Seto Kaiba." He drew, "You'll find this game to be harder then any you've played. I play a card in defence mode and set a card face down. Your move."

"What's going on?"

" _Do you think it's Destiny Board?"_

' _Knowing Bakura…'_

"I summon Kaiser Seahorse!" The seahorse warrior appeared on the field. Kaiba paused and Yami frowned. Deny it's existence or not, it was affecting Kaiba… "And I attack your face down card!" Kaiba's points dropped to 200.

"I activate Destiny Board!" Bakura called, his monster appearing for a split second before exploding. "And you just destroyed Morphing Jar, so we both have to discard our hands and drew fresh ones."

"I remember that card." Joey growled.

So did Yami and he glared at the spot the monster had been in as a spirit holding the letter F appeared, floating above Bakura's head.

They drew fresh hands and Kaiba smirked, "I play Monster Reborn to bring forth, Blue Eyes White Dragon!" The dragon appeared on the field, bellowing at Bakura before turning to gaze at Kaiba.

Mai hadn't noticed Joey slip his hand into hers, giving her a reassuring smile. She smiled slightly, grateful for the reassurance.

"And I end my turn."

Yami was so busy watching Bakura's next move that he didn't notice the two girls move closer to the large group or the fact one of the girls had her hand firmly shoved in her pocket.

"At the end of each of your turns…"

"I know what it does." Kaiba growled, "I saw you use it against Yugi."

An I appeared in the hands of a spirit.

"Just three more letters to go." Bakura smirked.

"You won't get to the last letter." Kaiba growled, ignoring the headache as best he could. He'd had worse after pulling an all nighter at his laptop, or at least that was what he was trying to convince himself.

Bakura drew, "I activate Zoma the Spirit, summoning a creature with 1800 attack points to the field."

"Couldn't Kaiba just wipe it out with his Blue Eyes?" Tristan asked.

"He could." Kari acknowledged, her and Robyn just off to one side now, instead of halfway around the arena, like they had been two turns ago, "But not only would he lose five hundred points because of Fearful Earthbound, but he'd then lose another 3000 because of Zoma's effect."

"Huh?" Robyn looked confused and Kari explained it again in English, making Mai smile slightly.

"I end my turn."

"Bakura's just waiting until Destiny Board beats Kaiba for him."

Kaiba drew. "I sacrifice my Kaiser Seahorse for a second Blue Eyes White Dragon!" The second dragon appeared on the field. "And activate Dragon's Nest, increasing Blue Eyes's attack by five hundred per dragon on the field. Your move."

Bakura drew and smirked, "I play Ectoplasmer."

"What?" Kaiba growled as Yami's eyes widened and he wheeled around to look at a suddenly very pale Kaiba.

"And I summon the Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams." Bakura smirked. "I guess you won't be facing anyone in the semi finals."

"I activate Last Turn!" Kaiba growled. "And I choose my Blue Eyes White Dragon to stand alone for me."

Bakura's smug look transformed into a scowl of hate as all of his cards from his hand and all the cards on the field except a Blue Eyes with 3000 attack points, went to the graveyard.

"You get to summon one monster to stand for you, but it has to attack Blue Eyes and survive and you have nothing strong enough to stand against it." Kaiba smirked irritatingly.

Bakura glared at his deck, summoning Diabound Kernel in attack mode. The huge humanoid thing with a snakelike tail hissed menacingly before attacking Blue Eyes who just looked very bored and blasted it away with its White Lightening attack.

The Shadows faded, Robyn's hand came out of her pocket and Kaiba gloated over the fact that he'd beaten Bakura.

"You thought you could beat me?" He mockingly laughed, "As if. Come back when you're a real challenge."

"Kaiba." Yami's tone was warning as Bakura's glare turned on this CEO.

Kaiba just waved him off as Kari winced slightly away from the angry teen on the Duelling Platform.

"Kari?"

"I'm fine."

"You won't beat me next time Kaiba." Bakura growled, stepping down from the platform as the monsters faded.

Kaiba just smirked and left the platform to make room for the next match.

Yami's gaze shifted immediately to Johnson, who was smirking across the lowered platform. Yami glared back, one of his best scare-the-living-daylights-out-of-the-opponent Death Glares, though Johnson seemed surprisingly immune.

" _Guess it's our turn."_

' _We'll beat him.'_

" _Just promise me you'll be careful."_

' _I will, I promise.'_

"Will Yugi Muto and Johnson Ford please report to the Duelling Arena."


	10. The First Mage

Kari was unsurprised by the attitude shift in Yugi as the teen stood on the platform, glaring at his opponent.

Her lack of surprise related to the whole rumor going around the Duelling Circuit about there being two Yugi's. She could confirm for herself now that there was just one Yugi, he just seemed to have two personalities.

There was a lot she believed in, but she wasn't sure she believed the rumors about possession or aliens though.

She was very glad those shadows were gone though. It had felt strange while they'd been there, like something had been pulling on her and she had edged around to the group of friends they'd been talking to this morning, feeling that there was safety in numbers. She shuddered at the feeling she'd gotten from Bakura.

She didn't get feelings like that often and she'd had them more and more since she'd lost her twin brother a couple of years ago, but she disliked Bakura already and he'd seemed nice enough last night. Another one with two sides perhaps…

Are the Duellists ready." The Kaiba Corp goon called.

Yugi2 nodded tensely while Johnson smirked and nodded.

"Johnson to move first."

"Let's Duel!"

Caught up in the first move of the Duel, when Johnson played three cards face down and a card in defense mode, she was completely oblivious to what her best friend was up to.

Robyn was busy, as Yugi2 drew and smirked slightly, before playing two cards face down and summoning Queen's Knight in attack mode, making snowballs.

"Queen's Knight attacks your face down monster!" Yugi2 called.

Johnson's Giant Rat was destroyed, allowing him to summon Stone Statue of the Aztecs in attack mode.

"Your move." Yugi2 growled as Robyn edged around the arena, three freshly made snowballs on hand.

Johnson smirked as he drew, muttering something. Kari thought she saw something wave behind his back, but was distracted instantly by the Shadows closing in again.

Kaiba, who was looking bored, suddenly found himself coated in snow.

"How?" Yugi2 snarled as Kaiba glared at an empty space where the culprit should have been.

"You're not the only one with magic, Muto." Johnson smirked, switching his Statue to defense mode and playing another monster in defense mode. "You'll see that the Shadows don't only answer to you."

" _I bet that's another Giant Rat."_ Yami heard Yugi think as Yami drew and summoned King's Knight and then Jack's Knight through special summon. "What do you mean by that?" Yami growled, sending Jack's Knight to attack the face down card.

It was another Giant Rat and Johnson summoned Moai Interceptor Cannons in attack mode too.

"You'll see." The mage, or whatever he was, replied, "Is it my go?"

"Make your move."

"I sacrifice my Statue for Criosphinx, in defence mode!" Johnson called, the mismatch of animal parts that somehow didn't make up any sphinx any of the other Duellists had heard about appearing on the field, "And switch my Cannons to defense mode too." Johnson smirked, "Your move, Yugi."

Kaiba turned back to the Duel.

Seeing that no one was paying the slightest bit of attention to her, Robyn glanced at the match, then gathered another handful of snow, this time intending to make a smallish snowman.

Yami drew, "You'll now see why I'm not afraid of your Shadows, Johnson." Yami sacrificed all three of his Knights for Slifer the Sky Dragon with 3000 attack points. "Slifer! Attack his Cannons!"

They blew up in a blast of thunder and energy that lit up the darkness while it lasted, then the shadows settled again.

"It's your move."

Johnson didn't look the slightest bit worried. "So that's one of the God Cards I'd heard so much about, it's not that scary." Johnson drew, "I sacrifice Criosphinx for one of my most powerful beasts! Exxod, Master of the Guard!"

For a horrible moment, Joey thought Johnson had summoned Exodia, the huge golden beast that had appeared on the field, towering over the Duellists and only a little smaller then Slipher, certainly looked enough like it to worry him slightly.

"It has no attack points." Yami pointed out.

"Not yet, but it'll be stronger then Slifer when I activate Shield and Sword." The card flipped up and while Slifer was immune, Exxod's attack and defence switched over, giving it 4000 attack points. "Your Puzzle will be mine, Exxod, destroy Slifer!"

It did so, with a huge golden fist causing Yami to lose 1000 points.

"Your move."

" _Am I the only one wondering why these Shadows don't seem to be doing anything? There should have been some sort of feedback from that and there wasn't."_ Yugi asked.

"It seems your control over the Shadows isn't all it's cracked up to be, Johnson." Yami smirked, drawing, "If this is a Shadow Game, why doesn't there seem to be any extra rules?"

Johnson looked flustered as Yami continued, "I don't think this really is a Shadow Game, I think you've been trying to psyche me out, and it won't work. I play Monster Reborn to bring back Queen's Knight and sacrifice her for the Dark Magician Girl!"

She appeared on the field with a glower at Johnson.

"And since your Exxod doesn't have any attack points now the turn is over… Dark Magician Girl, destroy Exxod!"

"I activate Compulsory Evacuation Device!" Johnson called before she could start her attack, causing Exxod to vanish and Johnson to take 2000 life points of damage.

" _That was strange, why take the hit yourself if it doesn't save you any life points?"_ Yugi asked.

' _Because he's got something else planned with that Monster.'_ Yami replied. "Your turn, Johnson."

"I play Card Destruction, discarding two cards from my hand and allowing me to draw two more." Johnson smirked, "I remove Exxod, Criosphinx, two Giant Rats, my Statue and my Cannons to summon Megarock Dragon!"

A huge rock dragon appeared, learning down at Yami, with 4200 attack points.

"He gets 700 hundred attack points for every Rock monster I removed from play to summon him, and I think Spellcaster is on the menu." Johnson grinned, "Megarock Dragon, attack Dark Magician Girl!"

"I activate Negate Attack!" Yami called, saving Dark Magician Girl.

Johnson snorted, "Fine, I end my turn."

Yami drew, "I summon Kuriboh in defence mode."

"What?" Johnson yelped as Kari grinned and stood up straighter, "Why would you waste a turn summoning that fuzzball?"

"Because I activate Multiply!" The field was suddenly flooded by Kuriboh, forming a shield between Yami and the huge rock dragon that seemed intent on eating him.

"How many of them are there?" Johnson snarled, it was a feeling Kaiba could relate to, though he'd never admit it.

"Kuriboh and Multiply!" Kari whispered excitedly under her breath, trying not to squeal. She'd managed to get her hands on a Kuriboh, but trying to get her hands on Multiply was like trying to part the sea with her bare hands. It wasn't one of her favourite moves she'd ever seen, but it certainly came close.

"Tens of thousands." Yami replied with a smug grin.

" _You're enjoying this way too much."_ Yugi tried not to laugh as he scolded his partner.

Tea glanced at Robyn, who looked intently at the fuzzballs now floating in front of Yami, before making corrections to her snow fuzzball. "Aren't you watching the Duel?" She asked the English girl.

"Should I be? I mean it's obvious Yugi is going to win."

Tea looked up at the Duel, where Yami was just ending his turn and frowned, this wasn't over yet by a long shot.

"It's still pretty even, even with the Kuriboh wall." Mai was saying to Joey as Kari's eyes danced with merriment.

"And the weirdo has nothing useful in his hand." Robyn continued.

Tea turned to look at her again, "There's no way you can know that."

"Look at him, he knows he only has one chance left, and what would you bet that Yugi already has a counter for it?"

Johnson did look incredibly annoyed as he drew and glared at his hand. "I play a card in defense mode, now Megarock Dragon, attack his fuzzballs!"

Several exploded and seventy reappeared.

"What? But!" Johnson stormed.

"I'm more worried that the jerk will have a heart attack when he loses again." Robyn continued as Johnson swore and ended his turn.

"I play Monster Reborn!" Yami called, bringing back Slifer, "And before you say it I'm well aware that he's only on the field for one turn, which is why I'm playing Soul Taker to destroy your Dragon!"

Megarock Dragon died, Johnson gained 1000 life points and Slifer lost 1000 attack points.

"Dark Magician Girl attack his face down card!" It was a Giant Rat and Johnson summoned another set of Moai Interceptor Cannons which Slifer attacked.

The resulting explosion caused smoke to cover the arena for a few moments before it cleared to reveal Johnson had 4100 life points left. Yami ended his turn and Slifer returned to the Graveyard.

"I play Monster Reincarnation to bring back Megarock Dragon to my hand and remove both monsters to summon it to the field." It looked a lot less imposing with only 1400 attack points. "Attack his Kuriboh wall!"

"That won't help." Yami pointed out as more Kuriboh appeared in response.

Johnson just scowled at him.

"I pay 1500 life points to activate Dark Magic Curtain, allowing me to summon the Dark Magician."

He appeared on the field behind the wall of Kuriboh.

"Dark Magician Girl! Attack Megarock Dragon!" It died again, taking Johnson down to 3500, then he lost another 2500 from a direct assault from the Dark Magician.

" _Yami, stop teasing the bad guy."_

' _But he's not even a good bad guy!'_

"…"

"I end my turn."

" _You can have a good bad guy?"_ Yugi asked, confused.

' _No but you can have an effective one.'_ Yami replied as Johnson played a card face down and ended his turn.

Yami drew, "I summon Feral Imp in attack mode. Dark Magician Girl, attack his face down card!"

Something shot from it, shot through his Kuriboh wall and destroyed his Dark Magician.

"What was that?" The Pharaoh growled.

"My Medusa Worm." Johnson replied with a glare, "Not that it matters."

"Feral Imp, end this!"

The fiend attacked Johnson directly and wiped out the last of his life points.

Tea was so busy cheering she didn't notice Robyn make another snowball. This one she pitched over the group's heads and hit Kari, who wheeled around, glaring at Joey who was ignoring her and listening to Johnson's rant about…

"You think this is over Pharaoh?" Johnson glowered, "I'm not giving up that easily!" He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the Pharaoh, who glared, calling the real Shadows.

A snowball hit Johnson in the face, thrown by a rather angry looking Joey.

The mage turned around to glare at him. Joey responded with another snowball. "Sore loser." The blonde snapped.

"Johnson." Xuan snapped. The man turned and looked at Xuan for a moment before turning away and stomping down from the platform.

Yami rejoined his friends only to be bemused by the amount of snow Joey had gotten himself coated in.

"What was that about?" Kari asked the group, completely confused.

"Just a sore loser." Joey replied, "You ok Yuge?"

Johnson and Xuan stalked off and Yami finally relaxed enough to let Yugi regain control.

"I'm fine." Yugi replied.

"Will Mai Valentine and Kari Ironhide please report to the Duelling Platform?" Roland called.

Mai and Kari looked at each other and grinned, then Kari turned to her best friend, "My turn." She called.

"Remember the Phoenix." Robyn said, grinning.

Kari nodded and joined Mai on the Duelling Platform. "I've been looking forward to this." Kari said in English for the sake of her friend, then in Japanese for the others, "I'm not going to go easy on you."

"I've seen you play, I'd be disappointed if you did." Mai replied.

"Duellists ready?"

"Ready." Kari nodded.

"Yeap." Mai grinned.

"Mai Valentine to go first."

"Let's Duel!"


	11. Pheonix and Shadows

"Duellists ready?"

"Ready." Kari nodded.

"Yeap." Mai grinned.

"Mai Valentine to go first."

"Let's Duel!"

Mai drew, "I play two cards face down and play Harpie Lady in attack mode. It's your move Kari!"

"I play three cards face down and end my turn." Kari replied, the three cards appearing on her field.

"Is that all? I'm disappointed." Mai said, drawing, "Cyber Harpie Lady, attack mode and they both attack you!"

"I activate Scapegoat!" Kari activated it quickly. The two Harpies destroyed two sheep instead.

"Nice counter." Mai paused, "Kari, if I can ask, why did you enter this Tournament?"

"It probably sounds really bad." Kari went bright red, "But I actually entered for the Prize money. It's not cheap moving aboard and I need the money for rent."

Mai smiled slightly, "Alright, your move."

"I play another card face down and end my turn!"

"I activate Elegant Egotist to call forth my Harpie Lady Sisters." Mai gave Kari a sympathetic look, "I guess you weren't quick ready for our league, Harpies attack!"

Robyn squealed and clapped, much to the surprise of the gang.

"I activate Mirror Force!" The trap card activated, reflecting the attacks back and destroying all of Mai's Harpies.

"What?" Mai yelped, "Fine, I play a card face down and end my turn."

Kari drew, looking at her friend for a split second who grinned back before summoning Double Costan, a 1700 attack point monster that was the Dark equivalent of Kaiba's Kaiser Seahorse.

"Double Costan! Attack!"

Mai's points dropped to 2700.

"Your move Mai, I'm not out of this yet."

' _Kari's doing well.'_ Yami said, appearing at Yugi's side in spirit form, confident no one could see him.

" _If you're not careful I'll think you have a crush on her."_ Yugi teased, watching as Mai made her move.

Mai drew, "I play Amazoness Fighter in attack mode and play Amazoness Spellcaster, swapping my Fighter and your Double Costan's attack points! Amazoness Fighter, destroy Double Costan!"

The zombie card blew up.

"Your move."

' _How long do you think she'll last against Mai?'_

"Oh, I think Kari'll take her." Robyn answered, startling everyone.

"I activate Monster Reincarnation," Kari said, "Bringing Double Costan back to my hand and I summon it again. Double Costan, attack!" It got revenge on the Fighter but Mai didn't lose any life points, "Your move Mai."

' _She can see me?'_

"You can see him?" Yugi and Yami asked simultaneously.

Robyn nodded. "And I'm wondering why you're haunting your doppelganger." She said, smiling slyly at Yami.

Mai drew, "Harpie Lady in defence mode and equip her with Rose Whip." Harpie Lady grew to 1700 defence points. "Your move."

Yugi looked at Yami. _"What should we tell her?"_

' _What you think is best.'_

Robyn turned her eyes back to the match, "You don't _have_ to tell me anything. I'm just curious."

Yugi and Yami fell silent, thinking.

"So what does Yugi call you?"

' _Yami.'_

"I use Double Costan as two tributes to summon **my** Dark Magician." Kari's odd robed magician appeared, "And he attacks Harpie Lady!" Harpie Lady exploded, "Because a Spellcaster attacked I can activate Magician's Circle, allowing me to summon the Dark Magician Girl!" The girl magician nodded to her teacher. "Your move."

"I play Spell Reproduction, giving up De-spell and Elf's Light to bring Elegant Egotist back to my hand, and summon Amazoness Chain Master in defence mode!"

The turn moved back to Kari, "I summon Magician's Valkeria!" Kari called, the 1600 attack point mage joining those already on the field, "She destroys your Amazoness Chain Master." Now Kari was the one who looked disappointed, "It's over already? Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, attack!"

Robyn flinched, and tried to cover it by turning back to Yami.

"I activate Mirror Wall!"

The two Magicians had their attack points cut in half, lowering them to 1250 and 1000. Mai was saved by 450.

"Nice!" Kari grinned, "Your move."

"So _is_ there a reason you're haunting your lookalike?" Robyn asked Yami curiously.

"Does Kari know about Yami?" Yugi asked.

"She suspects there's two of you, but she didn't realise Yami was a spirit." Robyn replied, "But you didn't answer my question."

Mai drew and grinned, "I summon Harpie Lady and activate Elegant Egotist!" The sisters reappeared. "They attack your Valkeria and your Dark Magicians!"

"I activate Waboku!" She yelled over the Harpie's screeching. The trap card saved her life points but not her monsters.

"Your move."

"Alright then." Kari drew, "Dust Tornado to destroy Mirror Wall!" The tornado did it's job, "Then I activate Monster Reborn, bringing back my Dark Magician Girl!" This time she had 2300 attack points.

"Attack one of those Harpies!"

One died, enraging the other two.

"I end my turn."

' _Can we tell you once the Quarter Finals are over?'_ Yami asked Robyn.

"I play Harpie Lady Phoenix Formation." Mai activated it and Kari gulped at the phoenix that swooped at her and destroyed her Dark Magician Girl and one of her Scapegoat as it came, her points dropping to 1700. "I play Card of Sanctity allowing us both to draw until we have six cards in our hands, play a card face down and end my turn."

Robyn sighed and nodded.

"Skilled Dark Magician, attack mode and I equip him with Mage Power, giving him 500 points for every magic and trap card, like these two." She set two cards face down, "Skilled Dark Magician! Attack!"

"Harpie Lady Sparrow Formation!" Mai activated it, saving herself again.

"I end my turn."

Mai drew, played a card face down and switched her Harpies to defence mode. "Your move."

"Dark Blade in attack mode and I equip him with Sword of Dark Rites." Kari growled, "And my monsters attack your Harpies."

Mai's remaining two Harpies died.

"Your move."

"Dunames Dark Witch, in defence mode!" Mai called, setting the monster. "Your move Kari."

She drew, "Then I end it, Dark Blade, destroy her witch!" It died with a pained scream, "And Skilled Dark Magician!" He didn't even need a command, he attacked, wiping the last of Mai's life points out. "Good game." Kari said, rushing over and shaking her hand.

"I knew fighting you would be a challenge, but I can't say I'm sorry to be out." Mai said with a small, pensive smile. "You will be careful, won't you?"

"Sure." Kari nodded. "I will." She grinned slightly as the two of them stepped down, "So how did I do?" She asked Robyn, with a grin as Joey watched Xuan take his place on the platform.

"Joey, be careful." Yami growled, taking over from Yugi.

"I will Yuge." Joey nodded, before going up himself.

Robyn swiped at her friend's head, "I thought I said to watch out for the Phoenix?"

"I didn't have anything to block it." Kari defended herself.

"Right… and attacking when she had a trap on field?"

Kari looked embarrassed at that, "Well I had to find out what it was somehow…"

Robyn shrugged, "O'well, at least your next match is a little predictable."

"Unpredictable?"

"Well yeah, I might know your deck really well, and I've Mai's in action, but Joey's is based on gambling and I've yet to see the fool's deck."

Joey glared at Xuan who merely smirked back.

"Duellists ready?"

"Ready." Both Duellists called.

"Xuan Li to move first."

"Let's Duel." Both Duellists called.

Xuan drew, "I summon Radiant Jeral, in defence mode and play the Sanctuary in the Sky!" Around them the arena faded into a huge, majestic looking coliseum, the only thing that remained was the snow.

"It's a field card." Xuan told Joey, "And you'll see what it does. I play one card face down and end my turn."

Joey drew, "I play Hayabusa Knight in attack mode and equip him with Lightening Sword, then I play two cards face down and end my turn."

Robyn for once was paying full attention to the duel, and began to strangle her scarf.

Kari wasn't seeing things she was sure of it, as something swished and the sky turned dark, purples and blacks where blues and whites had once been.

"I'm not afraid of an illusion." Joey growled, "Or didn't you learn from your pal Johnson's mistake?"

"This is no illusion, Wheeler." Xuan smirked catching Joey's gaze.

Joey let out a pained yelp and his hand came to his head as something brought a memory painfully to the front of his mind. _Bullying Yugi…_

"Joey!" Yami called, "Are you alright?"

"F… fine Yuge." Joey replied, he turned to glare at Xuan as the guy drew, "What have you done?"

"Called the Shadows." Xuan smirked, "They'll attack your mind at the end of every turn, bringing forward painful memories." Xuan looked at his hand, "Gellenduo in attack mode. I end my turn Wheeler."

_The tape from Serenity._

Joey looked a little pale as he drew.

" _How could Xuan call the Shadows?"_

' _I don't know.'_

"I summon Blue Flame Swordsman in attack mode!"

"Activate Widespread Ruin."

Joey's Blue Flame Swordsman died and Joey growled, "I play The Warrior Returning Alive to bring him back to my hand and end my turn."

_Playing Mai for the first time with everything at stake._

Xuan drew, "I'm going to introduce you to one of my most powerful beasts now, my Gellenduo works like Miss Ironhide's Double Costan, but for Light Fairy Monsters, so I sacrifice it, for Guardian Angel Joan!" The angelic woman appeared on the field with 2800 attack points. "Guardian Angel Joan, attack his Hayabusa Knight!"

Joey's birdlike knight died with a squawk and Joey lost 1200 life points, while Xuan gained them through Joan's special effect.

"You can do it, Joey." Kari whispered as Yami, Tea and Tristan gave much more audible support.

"I end my turn."

_Vs Bakura as the Flame Swordsman._

"Eyes are the windows to the soul." Robyn said, looking at Yami again.

The Pharaoh looked at her, sure there was something she meant by that, but what? Could it help Joey?

Joey growled, "I play a card in defence mode and end my turn."

_Yugi fighting Panik and his pyrotechnics._

Xuan drew, "I summon Royal Knight, in attack mode!" He smirked at Joey, "Joan, destroy his face down card!"

Everyone held their breath for a second as the card in question flipped up.

"What is that?"

"Fiber Jar." Joey replied, "We have to return all the cards on the field and in our hands and Graveyards back to our deck, shuffle them and draw a new hand of five cards!"

Xuan didn't look happy as the coliseum faded but the purple and black sky stayed and he drew a fresh hand. "A card face down and I end my turn."

_Fighting Kaiba with the prototype Duel Disks._

Joey drew, this was a whole new game, he could cope with this. "I summon Flame Swordsman in attack mode and attack you directly!"

Xuan had to take it, losing 1800 points.

"Your move."

Joey let out another pained gasp as whatever was ripping through his memories reached further into his mind.

_Fighting alongside Hirutani._

Joey shook his head, those had been some of his darker days, when his mother had just left with Serenity and he'd been 'taken under Hirutani's wing'.

"What's the matter Wheeler?" Xuan asked, "Can't take the pressure."

Joey glared at him and recoiled unwillingly from the memory that assaulted him.

_His mother driving away with Serenity in the car._

Xuan just drew, summoning Harvest, Angel of Wisdom from his deck. It was 1800 too and Xuan played one more card before ending his turn.

_Mai vs Marik._

Joey drew. "I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight and play Attrition!"

Before Joey could explain what it did, Xuan activated Magic Jammer and Light , discarding a card to destroy it. "And do you know what's even better Wheeler?" Xuan laughed, "Because that was a counter trap I can sacrifice my Angel of Wisdom to summon Voltanis the Adjudicator!" Joey's Flame Swordsman exploded in an attack from the huge purply blue monster.

"But it's my turn!" Joey protested.

"That was Voltanis's effect." Xuan smirked, "Because I gave up one monster to summon him, he automatically destroys one monster."

"I play a card face down and end my turn."

_Fighting Yugi in the Death Duel._

"Joey's in real trouble here." Tristan murmured, earning himself a swat from a worried looking Tea.

"I think he needs a pair of blinds." Robyn said. Tristan decided that her comment didn't translate properly and was too worried by the grin on Xuan's face to hear Kari's reply.

"Robyn, that's not helpful."

"It's all over Wheeler." Xuan called, "I activate Lightening Vortex, discarding one card from my hand to destroy all your monsters."

Joey growled, his face down card was Graceful Dice, it couldn't help him now.

"Joey only has 2800 points left!" Kari's eyes went wide.

"He's going to lose." Xuan nodded, amused, "Voltanis, attack him directly!"

Joey threw his arms up to protect himself, but the blast from Voltanis's staff hit him backwards, wiping out his life points.

There weren't many who noticed the extra colour in the blast or the movement of Xuan's lips.

Joey didn't get up.

"I believe you can announce me the winner now." Xuan said to a stunned Roland as the shadows faded.

Yami was already moving as the platform lowered itself, at Joey's side before it was completely settled. "Joey? Joey!"

"He's just unconscious, Pharaoh." Xuan laughed, "He'll wake soon enough."

"What did you do?" Yami snarled.

Xuan left without saying a word, retreating to the blimp to await the announcement of the Semi Final match ups.

"Kari, if you take him down, I'll make sure the proper authorities pick him up."

"What?" Kari asked her best friend, stunned for a moment, then blanched slightly, "Oh Gods, I've got him next!"

"It was just a few tricks, don't look in his eyes, focus on your cards and remember your memories make you who you are." Robyn said quietly. Kari didn't have time to respond as the doctor from yesterday and some of the blimp crew arrived with a stretcher, collecting Joey. The gang followed them back to the infirmary.


	12. The Eye of the Storm

Yami was pacing the infirmary when Kari and Robyn arrived with a thermos and some mugs.

"I know it's not a good time to invite you guys back to my room considering…" Kari looked over to Joey, "But I thought we could all do with something to ease our nerves.

Yami wondered for a moment if Robyn had suggested it as he saw the blonde take the thermos from the brunette's shaking hands and fill enough mugs with hot chocolate for everyone.

"Thank you." Tea smiled at the two. "This is really nice of you."

Kari sat down on one of the spare beds, putting her mug down on the side, and pulled out her deck, shuffling it. It was a nervous habit she'd gained, when she was scared or worried, she shuffled her deck. It was something she could do without thinking and contained cards from her friends back home, so it gave her a chance to calm down.

"Maybe you should forfeit the next match."

Kari's wide hazel eyes rose to look at the speaker, "Can't afford to." She shook her head, "I really need the money." She put her deck down and ran a hand through her hair, "There's no other way for me to get it, I can't forfeit, I have to play him." Her voice wobbled slightly as she tried to keep the fear from her tone.

"The fool's Duelling with a fairy deck, which is just plain foolish against Kari, my deck is all fairy and light, we both know the strategies inside and out. Kari can win." Robyn said firmly.

"It isn't the strategies that worry me, though that helps." Kari said, picking up her mug and trying not to spill her hot chocolate, "It's that… was he using magic?" Her desperate question was aimed at everyone.

"Hypnotism." Robyn said shortly when the others went very quiet indeed. "He's wanted by the authorities. They'll be here as soon as they get clearance, you just need to hold him up."

Yami looked at Robyn, he didn't buy it, but perhaps Kari didn't know about real magic yet.

Kari closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down. "I'm scared." She admitted. "The Shadows from Kaiba's game against Bakura felt alive and those goons…" She shuddered, "Why did that feel like more then a trick?" Kari put her mug down, "I'll be back." She said, exiting the infirmary and turning the corner. Mai followed.

"You can't keep lying to her, she'll be up against him next." Yami said to Robyn "Doesn't she have any way of protecting herself from him?"

"You do know there's rules about certain things, don't you? As much as I like and trust Kari, I can't afford a certain kind of attention. Anyway, she can win as long as she doesn't leave the windows wide open."

"What are you?" Tea asked, "What secret is so big that you can't tell your best friend?"

"Your friend should just have a few nightmares then wake up, it shouldn't harm him in the long run unless someone decides to attack his mind sometime soon."

"Those secrets are scaring your best friend half to death." Tea pointed out.

"The problem is, telling her about me, while would confirm the magic side of things, wouldn't help. It might make things worse. Besides it wasn't Shadow Magic that called those shadows." Yami said as Yugi took spirit form and waited by Joey's bed.

"It's a shame I can't Duel him, I know how to defend my windows."

"He wouldn't be able to get into my mind, I can't even get into my mind." Yami stated.

"But then how did the winged horse get into your mind?"

"Winged horse… how do you know about Pegasus?"

* * *

"Kari?" Mai asked as the girl leant on a wall of a dark corridor and sank down.

"Mai, this is what you were trying to warn me about earlier, wasn't it?" She asked, wide eyes looking at the strong Harpie Duellist.

"Yeah, sorry kiddo." Mai sat next to her. "I thought something like this might happen."

Kari closed her eyes, bending her legs and leaning forward into her knees, "I don't know if I can do this."

"Robyn seems to think you can."

"Robyn is my best friend, but…" Kari tensed up, getting to her feet and glaring down the corridor, "Whoever you are, you'd better come out!"

Mai pulled the teen behind her as Xuan stepped into the light. "Stay away, haven't you caused enough trouble."

"I'd've thought you would have been awaiting your boyfriend's recovery." Xuan smirked.

"Mai, don't look at him." Kari suddenly remembered Robyn's warning and hissed.

"Smart kid." Xuan smirked at Kari, who was keeping her gaze firmly on the floor.

"Kari, go back to the infirmary." Mai murmured.

"Easy, I'll deal with her later." Xuan said, amused by Mai's protectiveness. "I was just about to recommend that you dropped out, kid. You're no match for me."

"My Spellcasters can beat your fairies." Kari had to stop herself from glaring at him. "I'm not leaving."

"Then I'll see you on the battle field." Xuan walked away down the corridor and once he was gone Mai turned to Kari.

"We're going back to the infirmary, now."

* * *

Kari and Mai stepped through the door to the infirmary and Yami just knew something had happened from the look on their faces, "What happened?"

"Xuan." Mai said shortly, "We're fine, he didn't do anything." She added before anyone could ask.

"He wanted me to back down. I told him I wouldn't." Kari said quietly.

"You're brave." Tristan murmured.

"Stupid more like but he annoyed me and I need the money so I'm not leaving the Tournament." She gave them a small determined smile. She gained a slight smirk, "Besides, I've always wanted the chance to fight the King of Games."

"I have to get through Kaiba first." Yami pointed out.

"Like that's going to be a problem." Kari had a hint of laughter in her voice.

" **Will all Semi Finalists please report to the Arena for your matches. Yugi Muto will fight Seto Kaiba and Kari Ironhide will fight Xuan Li. All Semi Finalists who are late will be disqualified."** The tannoy went and Kari and Yami looked at each other, then nodded.

Yami looked over to Joey.

"I'll keep an eye on him." Tea said, "You go." She turned to Kari, "Good Luck."

"Thanks, I'm gunna need it." Kari nodded in reply. "Robyn are you… where'd you go?" Kari gulped when she couldn't see Robyn and Mai saw a little of her colour bleach out again. "Fine… Let's go, Yugi."


	13. White Dragons and Black Magicians

Kaiba was all ready and waiting when the group reached the arena.

"About time Yugi, I thought you weren't going to show." Kaiba called. Kari saw Yami's quick dismissal of a rather ugly look and merely took his place.

"I had other things to think about Kaiba, but you wouldn't understand about worrying about for a friend."

Kaiba snorted, "Let's just get this over with. I have a company to return to after beating you."

Yami smirked, "After you lose to me you mean."

Kaiba glared as Roland called, "Are both Duellists ready?"

Yami and Kaiba nodded.

"Seto Kaiba to move first."

"Duel." Both shouted.

"I'm completely unsurprised a hack Duellist like Wheeler couldn't make the Semis." Kaiba stated as he played two cards face down and summoned Cave Dragon in attack mode, the huge green dragon with 2000 attack points appearing with a roar, "I always knew that last time was a fluke. Your move Yugi."

"Joey's a much better Duellist then you give him credit for Kaiba." Yami snapped, using the tone that Kari had only ever heard Yugi2 use with Xuan. He drew and played two cards face down himself, along with setting a card in defence mode. "He nearly had you in the play off last time, even with your Crush Card Virus. Your move."

"The Mutt lucked out." Seto drew, "I summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp in attack mode." The genie smirked across the field. "And you'll be going back to the minor leagues when I'm done with you. I end my turn."

"Hi Kari!" Robyn seemed to appear from nowhere.

"Where did you go?" Kari asked, watching Yugi2 activate Polymerisation and summon Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast with it.

"I got fed up with the interrogation. I'm going to avoid Yugi, but I'll be watching your match."

"I attack your Cave Dragon!" The chimera launched itself across the field and chewed on Kaiba's dragon, which roared and died, costing Kaiba 100 points.

"I understand." Kari nodded, as Yugi ended his turn and Kaiba summoned Lord of D. and activated one of the face down cards, summoning one Blue Eyes White Dragon and Hyozanryu.

Blue Eyes blasted away Chimera, costing Yugi 900 points and Hyozanryu attacked the Berfomet that reappeared on the field in defence mode, leaving Yugi wide open.

"What do you think the odd of Kaiba actually winning are?" Kari asked her friend, "I mean Yugi never loses, but…"

Yugi2 drew and grinned, Kari knew that grin, it was the 'he he he, his opponent is about to lose a lot of life points' look.

"The problem is while Kaiba would love to dedicate all his time to Duel Monsters, he still has a company to run. Most of his new strategies are figured out by his underlings, while Yugi has an innate knowledge of all his deck is possible of doing."

"I play Swords of Revealing Light!" The light swords slammed down, blocking Kaiba's monsters from attacking and making the CEO look like he had just sucked a lemon. "And I summon Queen's Knight in defence mode. Your turn."

Kaiba knew exactly what Yugi was doing, he was trying to buy time to summon a God Card. Kaiba drew. Unfortunately that wasn't what he needed to break the swords. "I summon Kaiser Seahorse and end my turn." Kaiba called, the seahorse warrior appearing in attack mode.

Yami drew. "I summon King's Knight and because…"

"I know, I've seen you use this combination often enough, just summon Jack's Knight already." Kaiba snapped.

Kari tried to keep a straight face and failed at the look Yugi2 gave Kaiba as he summoned the extra knight onto the field.

"Your move Kaiba."

"You've only got two turns left Yugi and then I'm free to reign destruction down on your monsters… and this will help, I sacrifice my Kaiser Seahorse to summon my second Blue Eyes White Dragon!" It appeared on the field behind the swords, "Make your move."

Kari bit her bottom lip as Yugi2 drew. "I pass this turn, there's nothing I can do."

"Then I sacrifice La Jinn for Luster Dragon #2." The huge greeny dragon with bluey green gems appeared, also behind the swords, "Next turn it's all over Yugi. I end my turn." The swords faded.

Yugi2 drew and set one card, "Jack's Knight attacks Lord of D.!"

Kaiba was unworried by the destruction of his Spellcaster and loss of 700 points.

"I end my turn."

"It's all over Yugi. Blue Eyes, Hyozanryu attack his knights!"

"I activate Mirror Force!"

"What?"

All of the monsters on Kaiba's side of the field exploded.

Kaiba's death glare would have wilted Kari but Yugi2 actually looked bored. "How did you not see that coming?" Yugi2 asked, "How long have I had that in my deck?"

Kaiba grumbled something but no one caught what it was.

"Is it my move yet?" Yugi2 asked.

Kari was surprised Kaiba didn't blow his top, but merely nodded.

"Then I'll end it." Yami smirked. "Knights attack Kaiba directly!"

"I activate Duplicate Trap, allowing me to copy any trap in either player's graveyard!" Kaiba returned, smirking as Yami's eyes widened with the implications, "And if you haven't guessed I'm borrowing your Mirror Force!"

Yami's Knights blew up too.

"What?" Yami echoed, "But…"

Kaiba's smirk told the story.

"Kaiba deliberately walked into it." Kari breathed, "He sacrificed his best monsters to get Yugi to use Mirror Force."

"He's not stupid Kari, just a jerk."

"I end my turn." Yugi2 growled.

"But… but… two Blue Eyes!" Kari stammered.

"And he has a third, guess where it is."

"No way." Kari shook her head, "He can't have…"

"I activate Soul Release, removing five of my monsters from play." Kaiba sent almost of his monsters away. "And play Monster Reborn to bring back Lord of D." Yami was certain the turn wasn't over and wasn't disappointed, "I activate my second Flute of Summoning Dragon to bring my third Blue Eyes to the field."

The move didn't make sense unless he had something else planned.

"Lord of D. attack Yugi!"

Yami took the 1200 hit, taking him down to 1900.

"Now, finish him off Blue Eyes!"

Yugi discarded Kuriboh.

"Damn Fuzzballs!" Kaiba exploded for a second before putting his game face back on.

"Kaiba just lost his temper… why am I surprised?" Kari asked.

Robyn giggled, "Isn't Boh ever so cute?"

"Boh?" Kari asked. Robyn had never called her Kuriboh by a nickname. "And yes, Kuriboh is."

Robyn nodded, her mood lifting enough that she was once again almost bouncing.

"Guess you're safe for one turn Yugi."

Yami drew, "I sacrifice half my life points to activate Dark Magic Curtain." Yugi's points hit 950, "To summon the Dark Magician. Attack his Lord of D. with Dark Magic Attack!"

The Spellcaster blew up but Kaiba didn't look worried.

"Your move Kaiba, I'm not done yet."

"Yet." Kaiba replied, "I play a card face down. Blue Eyes take out the Dark Magician." Yugi's points dropped to 450. "Now what are you going to do? Make your last move Yugi."

"Why do you think Yugi always fights better when his life points are low?"

"Because he likes to annoy Kaiba?"

"I summon Mystical Elf in defence mode." Yugi2 called. "And end my turn."

Kaiba smirked, I activate Dimension Fusion." Kaiba paid 2000 points to bring his two Blue Eyes White Dragons back into play along with Hyozanryu and Luster Dragon #2, "And play Polymerisation to fuse my three dragons into Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

The 4500 attack point monster glowered at Yami who actually gulped.

"It's all over. I attack your elf with Hyozanryu!"

"Magical Hats!" Yami called.

There was something rude said under Kaiba's breath as Hyozanryu's attack revealed nothing.

"Fine, Blue Eyes Ultimate, Luster Dragon #2 attack!"

Two more hats exploded, two more misses revealed.

"I end my turn." Kaiba snarled.

With one hat left on the field, Yami didn't have many more tricks left up his sleeve. "I set a card face down and end my turn."

"Hyozanryu attack the last hat!"

Yugi's hat and elf exploded.

"Blue Eyes Ultimate, end this!"

I activate Divine Wind!" Yami bellowed over the noise of the attack.

The attack reflected off a windy barrier and sent Kaiba sprawling, his life points hitting zero.

"You lose Kaiba."

Kari found herself with a note in her hand and minus her best friend.


	14. Wingweaver

"Oh great, I'm up next." Kari whispered as Yami and Kaiba exchanged traditional end of match arguments and the platform lowered for the next to step up, opening the note.

**_Good luck Kari. You're the strongest person I know. You can win this. Don't let the magic trick you into losing the Duel._ **

**_Robyn._ **

**_P.S. Put this in your deck, you're going to need her._ **

"Wingweaver." Kari breathed, it was Robyn's favourite card… no that was an understatement, Wingweaver to Robyn was like Dark Magician Girl to Kari, a trusted partner, for her to be entrusted to Kari for this match meant she was really going to need her. Wait… she read the note again. "So it was magic."

"Ready?" Yugi2 asked her as she shuffled Wingweaver into her deck.

Kari snorted, "As ready as I'm going to get."

"Good luck."

Kari nodded her thanks and stepped up onto the platform, refusing to make eye contact with the man she was about to fight.

"You seem afraid of me." She could hear the smirk in Xuan's voice.

"I'm not scared of you."

"Then face me like a real Duellist."

"I'm not a fool." She responded, keeping her mind on Robyn's warning.

"Are both Duellists ready?"

Kari nodded without taking her eyes from her deck and heard Xuan respond with "Ready."

"Kari Ironhide to move first."

"Let's Duel."

Kari drew, "One card face down and Dark Blade in attack mode and I equip him with Sword of Dark Rites, increasing his attack by 400. Your move Xuan."

Xuan snorted, "I set a card in defence mode and play Sanctuary in the Sky." The coliseum from his match with Joey was back. "I also set one card face down and end my turn."

 _No Shadows… he's not calling them?_ "I set a card face down and attack your face down card!"

It exploded, it was a ring of some kind with wings and wrapped by a ribbon. "It's called Nova Summoner, when it's destroyed I can summon Airknight Parshath from my deck."

The winged knight appeared on the field.

"Your move, Xuan."

"Still afraid to look at me?"

"I told you, I'm not stupid."

"It doesn't matter." Kari let out a startled gasp as the Shadows closed in around them and a cord of light connected her to Dark Blade, "I sacrifice Airknight Parshath to summon Neo-Parshath, the Sky Paladin!"

The huge angelic beast was big enough to dwarf the Duellists.

"He's still not strong enough to take my Dark Blade!" Kari growled.

"Not yet, but if I equip him with Cetus of Dagla…" It grew to 2800. "Now you'll see what the Shadows do this time. Neo-Parshath, attack!"

Dark Blade was destroyed in the attack, the light cord recoiled and Kari screamed in pain.

Xuan waited to speak again until she had regained her breath and could look just below eye level at him.

"Wh…wha… what was that?" She stammered, trying not to shake with the aftermath of the pain that had ripped through her body.

"I warned you to quit before, the Shadows will cause you to feel every bit of pain felt by your monsters. It's not too late you know, just surrender the Duel now and you won't have to go through that again."

"I… I'm not afraid of you."

"Your eyes speak otherwise."

Kari quickly looked away again.

"By the way. It's your move."

Kari drew and studied her hand, "I set a card in defence mode." Kari growled, "And one face down and end my turn."

She glanced at her new friends, who were giving Xuan the dirtiest look she could imagine as a fresh cord connected her to her monster.

"I summon Gellenduo in attack mode and they attack your face down card."

The Gellenduo were destroyed by her Old Vindictive Magician as they destroyed him. Another scream of pain came from Kari, but she was rewarded by a grunt of pain from Xuan as Gellenduo blew up.

She was still cringing from the fading pain as he ordered his Neo-Parshath to attack her directly.

"I activate Shadow Spell!"

The huge fairy was bound in chains that lowered his attack by 700 and stopped it in it's tracks.

"I took Gellenduo's attack to stop your Neo-Parshath." Kari smiled. "I told you. I'm not scared."

"Fine, I end my turn."

Kari drew and grinned, it was the Dark Magician Girl that Robyn had given her, "I play Monster Reborn to bring back Old Vindictive Magician and sacrifice him for the Dark Magician Girl!" The magician appeared on the field with glare at Xuan, "And I activate my other two face down cards, Sage's Stone and Magic Formula." Kari's Dark Magician appeared on the field and Dark Magician Girl went up by 700.

"Dark Magician Girl, attack Neo-Parshath!"

He didn't cry out in pain as his monster was destroyed.

"What?"

"My Sanctuary in the Sky is protecting my monsters, they feel no pain as they die but your Dark Monsters are without protection. I will lose no life points from losing my fairies."

"So your Shadows affect me only?" Kari's voice wavered. She had been betting on the effects hurting him too.

Joey and Tea entered the Coliseum.

"That's right, your deck, steeped in darkness, doesn't have the same protections from Sanctuary in the Sky that my deck, born from light, does."

"In other words he's a cheating b...d!" Kari couldn't help the smile that grew on her face at Tristan's remark.

"What's happening?" Joey asked after waving off Yugi2's concerned questions.

"Xuan's cheating at his own Shadow Game." Yugi2 said, "Protecting himself and letting Kari feel the effects." Joey looked outraged but also like he felt guilty…. Oh… of course, he felt that it was his fault because he hadn't beaten Xuan in the quarters.

"Dark Magician, attack him directly!" She bellowed. She had the satisfaction of a cry from him that time as his points dropped to 1500.

I end my turn." Kari called, still focusing in the one card in her hand, her two Magicians guarding her.

Xuan drew and once again she could hear the smirk in his tone, "I play Lightening Vortex!"

"No!" Kari cried out, then screamed in agony as her two Magicians were attacked by lightening.

She found herself on her knees when the pain stopped, her points growing by 1000.

She forced herself to her feet as Xuan summoned Harvest, Angel of Wisdom.

She wondered if it was bad that the pain she felt from the attack was less then the pain the shadows were causing as she lost 1800.

She drew, "A card in defence mode, Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Sanctuary and a card face down. That's it for this turn."

"I summon Freya, Spirit of Victory. She boosts my fairies by 400 and you can't attack her while she's protected by other fairies. Now, Harvest, attack her face down card!"

She screamed as her defence mode Magician of Faith was torn apart by Harvest, on hands and knees by the time it was gone.

"Th…" She couldn't croak it out.

"I know what it does, chose your Magic Card." Xuan said.

He waited until she'd taken Monster Reborn back before sending Freya to attack her.

Still on the ground she couldn't bring herself to move. It hurt, oh Gods it hurt, but she had the card she needed now, if she could focus on anything but the fact she hurt for long enough to pull of the move she needed and draw the right card.

"Kari!" She raised her head and looked at Yugi2.

"Y…Yugi?"

"Don't give in, you can take him."

Kari nodded and forced herself to her feet. "I'm not done yet." _I just need one card… please, deck… Robyn…_ She drew. "I play Monster Reborn to bring back your Gellenduo!" She croaked, "And sacrifice it for Wingweaver!" The 2750 Light Fairy appeared on her side of the field. "Now I'm protected too."

Xuan looked furious.

"Wingweaver, destroy Harvest!"

The six winged, purple haired fairy, who looked more like an angel to Kari in the state she was in, fired a blast of light at Harvest, who died instantly.

Xuan grunted as his points dropped to 550.

"I end my turn."

"Where did you get that card?"

"My best friend." Kari replied, "She's protecting me, just like her most trusted card."

"I play Card of Sanctity so we both draw until we have six cards in our hand and I set two face down."

Kari saw the plan of action as she drew and looked at her hand, "Wingweaver attack Freya!"

Xuan smirked as he activated Widespread Ruin, destroying her Wingweaver.

"And because I activated a trap I can tribute Freya to summon Voltanis the Adjudicator!" is 2800 attack point monster was back, but Kari had no monsters down to destroy.

Now safe, she set one in face down defence mode.

"I end my turn."

"This is over, Ironhide, Voltanis attack her face down card!"

_Yes!_

Kari screamed in agony as her Princess of Tsurugi died in the blast.

Xuan's life points hit zero because of the Princess's flip effect, taking 500 points per face down magic or trap card he had.

"The match belongs to Kari Ironhide."

She heard that as the pain was fading and her eyes rolled back in her head.

She was unconscious before she hit the ground.

Xuan was furious, but Yami and Joey were already moving before he could draw his wand, scrambling up onto the lowering platform to the girl's side.

"Kari?" Joey went to shake her to try to wake her up, but she subconsciously flinched away from the touch.

"She's still hurting." Yami growled, wheeling around to face Xuan himself, shadows flaring. "How could you?"

"How dare she beat me? Me!" Xuan was glowering at the teen on the floor.

"You're lucky she knocked you out of the Tournament." Yami was in a towering rage and Xuan hadn't seemed to realise this yet. "After what you did to my friends, you would have faced a true Shadow Game instead of whatever magic you used to imitate one."

Xuan levelled his wand at Yami, firing off two spells which were just absorbed by the real Shadows.

There would have been a real Shadow Games then and there if not for a sudden flash of red light and Xuan collapsing into unconsciousness.

Yami growled as he fought back the shadows who were hungry for the soul of the man who had dared imitate them. _Back Shadows back!_

"What do we do with him?" Joey kicked the git.

A group of men and women came in. "Where is he?" He asked the girl at the door. It was Robyn, who directed them to the unconscious man.

"Is anyone hurt?" One of the new group asked.

"Everyone'll be fine." Robyn said, "Just take him away before someone does something they'll regret."

The group took Xuan away and Yami finally sighed and calmed down, turning back to Kari before glancing at Kaiba.

"I'm not Duelling in the Finals until she's awake, even if you have to postpone them." Yami said firmly.

"You won't duel, she can't, I have no choice but to wait." Kaiba growled, he stalked out.

Two minutes later the Doctor was back again with a stretcher and his crew.

Four minutes later they were back in the infirmary.


	15. Skies Clearing

"It's better they did come and take him away." Tea's voice filtered into her mind. "If they've been after him and you Shadow Gamed him, it wouldn't have gone down well."

"I know, but…"

"You two can't blame yourselves." Joey was saying, "We just got the bad luck. Are you sure she's gunna be alright? Her screams…"

"It'll hurt when she wakes up but…"

Kari groaned, opened her eyes and tried to sit up, whimpering as she let herself go limp and collapsed back onto the bed. "I won, didn't I?" She whispered to the group.

"You are an idiot." Robyn declared, "I said you just needed to delay him, why couldn't you have babbled away about justice and honour and all that stuff? You would have won by default once he was arrested. I mean he would have had even more charges to his name if the Aurors had seen what was going on, it not like they can convict him under video evidence."

"Did I lose the finals by default?" Kari asked when Robyn was done ranting and settled for glaring.

Robyn's glare only seemed to increase. "Foolish girl, you could have been killed if Wingweaver hadn't protected you, and you can only worry about wither you won or not?" Robyn threw up her hands in defeat and stalked out grumbling.

"What's an Auror?" Kari asked the group, trying to will herself to move and go after her friend.

"No idea." Yami replied, helping her sit up. "I'm guessing it's whatever authority took Xuan away." The two switched over and Yugi gave her a warm smile.

"There are two of you!" Kari grinned, "I knew it!"

"Uhhh." Yugi gave his friends a 'help!' look.

"Your eyes changed colour!" Kari declared triumphantly.

Yami appeared in spirit form beside Yugi and Kari looked at him, "You look like Yugi."

' _Why can everyone suddenly see me?'_ Yami asked a confused Yugi.

Kari tilted her head at Yami, "That's strange, I can't actually hear you."

' _Not like Robyn then.'_ Yami pointed out.

" _Shall I tell her your name?"_

' _It's up to you hikari.'_

"Wait, Robyn can see and hear you? Why didn't she tell me?"

"I got the feeling she doesn't like to reveal other peoples secrets."

"What did you do to make her avoid you?" Kari asked, "You ask her too many questions or something?"

"She said something abut Pegasus and then ran away."

"Pegasus? Maximillian Pegasus? Creator of Duel Monsters?" Yami nodded. "Why would she have secrets about him…?" Kari looked incredibly confused.

"That girl has way too many secrets for comfort."

"So, ready to Duel?" Yami asked her with a small smile.

"I'm still sore but I'm ready… wait Kaiba **didn't** declare me the loser by default?"

"Nope, you won your match."

"Yes!" Kari yelled.

"I think that means she's excited." Tristan pointed out.

"I've been looking forward to this!" Kari grinned, wincing as she got off of the bed. "I'm gonna get to fight the King of… Kings of Games?" Kari asked Yugi and Yugi2, confused.

"Stick with King, we don't want to confuse too many people."

"Fair enough." She shrugged, wincing slightly as she did so, "Let's go."

"Will Robyn be waiting for us at the arena?"

"I think Robyn's going to stay mad at me for a while." Kari looked worried by this, "I did pull some rather ridiculous stunts back there any of which could have backfired."

"Some friend you have there."

"Robyn's my best friend." Kari snapped, "She's been by my side through everything." She snarled, then sighed and shook her head, "She probably already knows what's going to happen anyway."

"Everything?"

Kari just shook her head and smirked at Yugi, "Come on Yugi, let's show them a Duel to remember."

Yugi grinned and nodded.

Kari went ahead but Yugi was a little slower. _"How could Robyn know of events in advance?"_

' _Have you ever heard of a Seer?'_

" _What's that?"_

' _It's a person with a similar sort of power as the Millennium Necklace.'_

" _So they see the future?"_

' _Or past.'_ Yugi sensed Yami's shrug.

" _Another thing she's kept from Kari?"_

' _Not very well apparently.'_

"People tend to freak a bit if you tell them you know the future. I just drop hints and figure most people will either take me or leave me as I am." Robyn said, sliding into the hallway.

Yami took over and raised an eyebrow, "You enjoy creeping up on people, don't you?"

"Only as much as Kari likes pizza. By the way, been thinking about what you said about me not doing a very good job at protecting Kari. I have to go home... but I think I can find something that might help..."

"You're not going to be here for the finals?"

"Sorry I've got a plane to catch, tell Kari to post Wingweaver back will you?"

"But you don't even know where…" Robyn vanished, "How did she do that?"

Yugi was laughing at his reaction.

' _Oh be quiet.'_

" _You want to face her don't you?"_

' _Kari or Robyn?'_

" _Kari!"_ Yugi laughed, _"Robyn isn't in the Tournament!"_

' _If you want to fight her…'_

Yugi rolled his eyes at that answer, it was a 'I'd step aside but please please please….' _"Go on then."_

' _Thank you.'_

" _Just don't lose our title, Kaiba would have a fit."_ Pause. _"No you can't lose just to give Kaiba a fit!"_

' _I wouldn't even think of losing!'_ Yami sounded indignant.

" _Let's go."_

**LINE-RECOGNITION-HAS-GONE-AGAIN**

Yami turned to face an excited, but serious looking Kari who'd already activated her Duel Disk.

She wasn't quite as bouncy as before, but she probably still hurt quite a bit. Yugi was still in pain from yesterday.

He at least had had a day to heal.

"This is the Final match of the second Battle City. Yugi Muto to move first. Are both Duellists ready?"

"Ready." Kari nodded.

Yami activated his Duel Disk, "Ready."

"May the best Duellist win."

"Let's Duel!"

Yami drew, "I play Big Shield Gardna in defence mode and play two cards face down." He was wary of playing too many cards face down, remembering how Kari had beaten Xuan, "Your move Kari."

"I play one card face down; summon Dark Blade to the field in attack mode." Kari called, the black armoured knight appeared, "And end my turn."

"Gamma The Magnet Warrior in Defence Mode." Yami called, the pink magnet creature appearing on the field. Yami was surprised by Kaiba's interest in the duel, he hadn't seemed too bothered about Kari's match against Xuan except that it was taking time out of his busy schedule. "And I end my turn."

Kari drew, "I summon a second Dark Blade to the field." She said, placing her card on the Duel Disk, "And place a card face down. Your move."

Yami was trying to keep a tally of what he knew about her deck as he drew, "I sacrifice my Big Shield Gardna for my Dark Magician Girl." The original appeared on the field and surprised Yami by waving at Kari. "Dark Magician Girl, attack Dark Blade."

One of Kari's Dark Blade exploded taking 200 points.

"Your move."

"Fine, I sacrifice my Dark Blade for my Dark Magician Girl." She appeared, "I've had her in my hand since we started. " She tilted her head, thinking. "Your move Yugi."

"I play Exchange." Yami called. "Allowing us to take a card from each others hand and us it as our own."

Kari grumbled under her breath but allowed Yami to take her Dark Magician in exchange for his Multiply. "I've always wanted this card." She confided in him and earned a grin from him as they retook their places.

"I summon Beta, the Magnet Warrior in defence mode and end my turn."

Like she was going to let him summon **her** Dark Magician against her, "Dark Magician Girl, attack his Gamma!"

"I activate Spellbinding Circle!"

"Damn." Kari's Dark Magician Girl could no longer move. "Sorry Dark Magician Girl. I have no choice but to end my turn."

"I sacrifice my two Magnet Warriors for your Dark Magician." He appeared on the field. "Dark Magician attack the Dark Magician Girl!"

"I activate Waboku!"

Her life points were safe but her Dark Magician Girl was sent to the graveyard.

"One card face down and it's your move."

Kari held her breath, drew and cheered, "Yes, yes, yes!" She squealed, "I summon Kuriboh in defence mode and activate Multiply."

Yami got to see a Kuriboh wall from the other side as the fuzz balls multiplied all over her side of the field.

"And I end my turn."

Yami suddenly realised how annoying that wall was as he drew and looked at his hand, with that one draw she'd saved her life points and he had nothing to destroy it… yet…

"I set one card face down and end my turn."

"I think she just pulled a Yugi." Tristan murmured.

"I play two cards face down and end my turn." Kari placed the two down.

Yami drew again, "I summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior and merge them together to form Valkerion the Magna Warrior!" The 3500 attack point magna warrior gave Kari's Kuriboh wall a rather rude look. "And end my turn."

Kari drew, "I set a card in defence mode and end my turn."

The face down card appeared in front of her wall, making it a target for the Magicians.

" _Princess of Tsurugi?"_ Yugi asked.

' _Either that or Old Vindictive Magician.'_ Yami replied, drawing. "I pass this turn."

 _That's no fun._ Kari thought as she drew again. She set another card in defence mode. "It seems like you're scared of my face down cards, Yugi."

"I haven't forgotten what you did against Xuan." Yami replied.

"You'll never get to my life points if you don't attack me though."

" _She has a point."_

' _You're not helping, Yugi.'_ Yami sighed, "Alright, Dark Magician, attack her right face down card!"

It flipped up, revealing an Obnoxious Celtic Guard who just held strong against Dark Magician's attack.

"Sorry, he can't be destroyed by anything over 1900." Kari grinned.

"Fine, Dark Magician Girl attack her other face down card." The card exploded, Yami lost 1500 points. "Let me guess, Princess of Tsurugi, yes?"

"Yeap." Kari grinned.

"I end my turn."

Kari drew and grinned even more, "I activate Dark Magic Ritual, sacrificing my Obnoxious Celtic Guard and my Double Costan from my hand to summon the Magician of Black Chaos!" The Chaos Magician appeared, staff ready for combat, "And I equip him with Mage Power, boosting his attack by 1000."

The mage grew even more powerful.

"Now, attack Valkerion!"

It blew up and Yami lost another 300.

"I end my turn."

Yami drew and smirked, turning Kari's triumphant grin to a rather worried one. "I activate Monster Reborn to bring back Valkerion and spilt it into Alpha, Beta and Gamma. I activate Card of sanctity so we can both draw until we have 6 cards in our hand and I sacrifice Alpha, Beta and Gamma to summon Slifer the Sky Dragon."

Kari yelped and took a step backwards as the huge red dragon god appeared on the field.

"Attack Magician of Black Chaos!"

The shockwave knocked Kari backwards as her mage died, costing her 2200 life points.

"You ok?" Yami asked.

"Fine." Kari leant on the railing as she got up, "Ow."

"Your move."

Kari was once again hiding behind her Kuriboh wall as she drew. She looked at it and decided to test something, "I play a card in defence mode." When it didn't get blasted immediately by Slifer's second mouth effect she gained some confidence. "And a card face down. It's your turn Yugi."

Yami drew and played a card face down, not worried about doing so now she'd played her Princess of Tsurugi. "Slifer, destroy her face down card!"

It died and so did Yami's Dark Magician.

"Old Vindictive Magician." Kari said helpfully.

The Pharaoh rolled his eyes and ended his turn.

"I pass this turn." Kari called after drawing.

"So do I." Yami drew too.

Kari drew again frowning slightly, "I play one card in defence mode and end my turn."

Yami drew, "I play De-Spell on your Kuriboh-Multiply combo." The card destroyed the wall, reducing it down to just one Kuriboh. "Dark Magician Girl attack Kuriboh!" The 2300 attack point Spellcaster destroyed it with little trouble. "Now Slifer, destroy her face down card!" Yami frowned as Kari cheered and couldn't work out why until it flipped up.

A certain blonde haired, red robed, gem holding warrior/effect monster.

' _She had two!'_

Slifer destroyed it, but Yami's points shot down to zero.

Stunned silence ruled the arena.


	16. Explanations

"Now Slifer, destroy her face down card!" Yami frowned as Kari cheered and couldn't work out why until it flipped up.

A certain blonde haired, red robed, gem holding warrior/effect monster.

' _She had two!'_

Slifer destroyed it, but Yami's points shot down to zero.

Stunned silence ruled the arena.

"Was that another…"

"Princess of Tsurugi." Kari confirmed.

"Does that mean?"

' _She had two!'_

" _Yami…"_

' _She had two!'_

Yugi sighed and seized control from a rather stunned Yami. It was the first time he'd lost a fair game and to say the Pharaoh wasn't taking it well was an understatement.

' _Yugi, she had two.'_

" _I know that, I saw the Duel."_

' _Two.'_

" _I'm not talking to you until you can come up with something sensible to say."_

' _Two.'_

Yugi shook his head and walked across the arena to shake hands with Kari who looked a little shocked it had worked.

"Well played."

"You too, I mean wow, I got to fight a God card!" Kari said, grinning slightly now it was sinking in. "What a match!"

They both turned to Roland who was still trying to work out exactly what had happened.

"I don't think he expected that." Kari laughed.

"I…" Yugi looked down at the Puzzle, "Didn't expect that."

Kari's grin widened at that.

Kaiba was the first to move as the platform lowered to ground level. "Congratulations on winning, Miss Ironhide. Your prize money will be handed over in the closing ceremony once we get back to Domino."

"Thank you Mr Kaiba." Why did it feel like he was sizing her up?

The CEO left.

"Does this make me Queen of Games?" Kari asked, head tilted to one side.

"You better hope not." Yugi laughed, "Unless you like the press."

"Blegh." The two went over to Yugi's friends who still were a little shocked. "I think we stunned em."

"Guys, if you don't say something soon, we're going to raid the kitchen on the blimp and leave nothing behind." Yugi sighed.

That got a reaction.

"Wow, guess we know who's the new best Duellist in town."

"I lucked out." Kari laughed, "I bet I can't do it again."

Yugi grinned as they headed for the blimp, hands slipping into his pockets only to have one of them come back out with a slip of paper he didn't remember there before.

It was a note.

From Robyn.

**Hi Yugi and Yami,**

**Bet you didn't expect that. I guess the Jerk is going to go crazy. Hehe, Queen of Games. If you can get me a video of Kaiba vs. Ironhide I'll love you forever. I'll send Kari some protection soon, can you look out for her until then? See you in a few years. Say hi to the dragon for me.**

**Robyn**

**PS She actually has three.**

**P.P.S Bet you that within two weeks Kari will be living on takeout and will have a new job.**

**P.P.P.S. Do not feed sugar or sporks to the little Kaiba.**

**P.P.P.P.S I refuse point blank to tell anyone who or what an Auror may or may not be.**

**P.P.P.P.P.S You'll find out in September.**

**P.P.P.P.P.P.S. Remember to take a raincoat. The weather is a bit wet.**

' _Three?'_

" _Yami don't start this again."_

It started raining and the gang raced into the blimp to avoid getting soaked.

"What happened to the snow?" Joey was complaining.

Yami paused in his rant about three Princess of Tsurugi, _'How would you feed a spork to Mokuba?'_

" _Without Kaiba killing us?"_ Yugi sent the equivalent of a shrug. _"What do you think she's Seen?"_

' _I don't know. Something about us and Aurors.'_ Yami sent a shrug back, then he paused, _'Yugi, what's a spork?'_

" _I'm wondering how sugar, sporks, Aurors and September combines."_ Yugi replied, showing Yami the memory of a spork.

' _No clue…'_ Yami decided they weren't as interesting as they sounded.

The now wet note went up in flames, briefly spelling another sentence. "Magic, I believe."

"Okay, that's freaky."

' _Should we tell Kaiba sugar sporks are a bad idea?'_

" _Sugar sporks?"_

' _Yeap.'_

" _Sugar sporks?"_

"Note from Robyn?" Kari asked. Yugi nodded. "Back to my room for hot chocolate? We have hours before we get back to Domino."

"Hot chocolate?" Joey asked, trying not to whine.

"Hot chocolate for all." Kari agreed.

* * *

Kari would have been curled up on her bed from the pain she really shouldn't have aggravated had her friends not been here. She wondered if there was a non magical remedy for magically caused pain.

It was probably called ibuprofen.

Kari sighed.

Robyn was right, Robyn was always right.

She'd been stupid in fighting the guy and getting herself this hurt. At least with the Tournament money it wouldn't matter if she was too stiff to go to work tomorrow.

She hadn't realised there was a note beside her bed saying, 'No, I'm not Kari.' If she had she would have realised it was from Robyn.

"Where's the hot water?"

"We had to get some from the kitchen last time." Kari said, wincing as she stretched out.

"Are you alright?" For a split second Yugi's eyes were crimson, then they were back to violet again. Yugi2 was concerned about her… that was… strange… it wasn't like they were close friends, or at least she didn't think they were.

"Fine." She lied, she was good at that.

However she hadn't reckoned on Yugi's friends, who were used to looking out for signs of fatigue or pain in their friend that he would shrug off with a 'I'm fine'.

"No you're not."

"You haven't gotten any painkillers from the Doctor?"

"How do I explain to a Doctor? 'Yes I left the infirmary to duel but I really need some pain killers for a magically induced pain. Where does it hurt, you ask? Everywhere!'" She looked at Yugi, "Besides, weren't you supposed to stay off that ankle as much as possible?"

Yugi just grimaced.

"And I thought I was stubborn." She sighed as Tristan left for a flask of hot water "If it's alright, I'd like to hear the story behind that…" She pointed to the Puzzle, "And Yugi2."

' _Yugi2?'_

" _She means you, Yami."_

Yami appeared in spirit form and bowed to the girl who gave a stiff bow back, "Can he hear me?"

Yami nodded.

"Hi I'm Kari." She introduced herself, "What's his name? I can't keep calling him Yugi2."

"His name's Yami." Yugi said, "And I'm not sure where to start."

"At the beginning's always good."

"Beginning, beginning…" Yugi hummed making Kari laugh, "I guess Duellist Kingdom then."

"Before you get talking, you two are sitting down." Tea said, pushing the two towards the sofa. "We'll sort out the drinks…" She glared at Joey and Tristan who moved into action, "You relax."

"Wow. Scary."

Yugi smiled, used to Tea by now, "A little."

"I heard that Yugi!" Tea called.

Yugi eeped and Yami, who was looked like he was leaning on the wall, just smirked.

"How does he not fall through that?" Kari asked, intrigued.

The concept had never occurred to Yami before, who made the mistake of thinking about that, gave a startled yelp and fell backwards, through the wall and into the corridor.

Joey was hard pressed to keep a straight face as Kari and Yugi laughed as the Pharaoh re-entered the room and glowered at Kari.

"That's not going to work," Kari pointed out, "I'm too sore to be scared of you right now."

Yami just rolled his eyes at her. _'I think she planned that!'_

" _How could she? You're being paranoid."_ Yugi sighed as Yami grumbled something about people out to get them. "So how much do you want to know?" He asked Kari.

"As much as you can tell me."

"Well." Yugi was about to start when someone else knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's Mai. Is it alright for me to come in?"

"Is it alright for Mai to know?"

"Mai knows about magic." Yugi looked at Joey who was confused for a moment, it was Yugi's secret, why was he asking Joey's permission?

"She'll have to know at some point if she keeps getting caught up in our problems." Joey shrugged.

"It's ok."

"I'm fine Mai, come on in." The door slid open and Mai walked in, a grin gracing her features, "Kaiba's throwing a head fit in the control room over the fact someone beat you before he could, Yugi."

"What does that mean?" Kari asked.

"You're likely to get a CEO pestering you every five minutes for a Duel."

"I'll play him… if he'll hire me." Kari mostly joked. She turned to Mai, "Mai, I was just about to have…" Kari pointed to the Puzzle, "Explained to me. You're welcome to stay if you like."

Mai looked at Yugi, who nodded.

"It's about time I find out exactly what that thing is." Mai looked wary though and sat down on the bed a little ways away.

"It's called the Millennium Puzzle." Yugi started, "It comes from Ancient Egypt and is around 5000 years old."

"Ancient Egyptian Model, now comes with extras." Kari murmured, "Like ancient ghosts I'm guessing."

"Yami's not really a spirit." Yugi said, eyes following Yami's pacing around the room, "His soul was trapped in the Puzzle all those years ago and now we're trying to recover his memories."

"An amnesiac ghost?"

"Like I said not really a ghost." _"Yami will you stop that!"_ "Unfortunately we don't know much about Ancient Egypt, just that the Millennium Items are really powerful…"

"You can say that again." Mai murmured, remembering the Millennium Rod and Millennium Eye.

"And control Shadow Magic."

"What's Shadow Magic?"

"It's what Xuan was trying to imitate." Joey said, passing cups around, "Those shadows you saw were cheap copies of the real thing."

"If a fake Shadow Game hurts that much…"

"Trust me, don't get into a Duel with Bakura." Yugi warned her.

Kari looked at Mai who had a haunted expression on her face. She'd obviously fought a real Shadow Game before.

"So where does Maximillian Pegasus come into this?"

"He sealed my Grandpa's soul into a card, did the same to the Kaiba brothers and tried to destroy me." Yugi said. To start with Kari thought he was joking until she saw the looks on Yami, Joey, Tea and Tristan's faces.

"What?"

"At the time he had the Millennium Eye, it was taken from him just after the end of my… our match against him. It allowed Pegasus to read minds."

Kari sank into her seat a little more, "So he could read minds and this Millennium Eye is now M.I.A.?"

Yugi frowned at the unfamiliar term.

"Missing in action." Mai supplied. "I take it Marik had one of these Millennium Items too."

"There's seven in all, Marik's was the Millennium Rod. He could use it to control minds." Yugi shuddered and Yami came to his side, the memory of the Death Duel with Joey springing to mind, "Luckily we own that one now so it's out of circulation."

"So what're the other ones?"

"There's the Puzzle, the Ring, Bakura owns that one so I'm not sure what else it can do, the Eye, the Rod, the Necklace which gives visions of the past or future…" _"And gave me hope when I didn't have any."_ "The Millennium Key which allows it's wielder to enter people's minds and rearrange their Soul Room to the wielder's design and the Millennium Scales, which judge people somehow, I think it's like the scales of Duat," Yugi saw one puzzled face and one that understood what he meant, "But I'm not sure."

"What's a Soul Room?"

' _She's good at asking the hard ones.'_

" _I'll make you answer them if you keep being 'helpful'."_

"A Soul Room is…" Yugi frowned, "I'm not sure how to explain it, it's kind of this room that's just yours. It's a reflection of your soul. It's where I go when Yami's in control and Yami spends a lot of time in his when I'm out and about, but I suppose it's best described as a sanctuary."

"Where are the Scales and the Key?"

"Shadi owns them." Yami had some choice words about Shadi that made Yugi give him the look, "He's supposed to be the guardian of the Millennium Items, but he tends to show up just after real trouble starts and he's never around during it."

Kari snorted her amusement.

"And that's the condensed version." Joey said, "What I want to know is where did you come from with a deck like that?" He asked Kari who smiled slightly.

"I'm from England. I've spent a lot of money on my deck, getting the cards I want and things…"

"Are you just here for the Tournament?"

Kari shook her head, "I moved here just after the last Battle City, I'm trying to get a job as a Games Designer but no-one seems to be hiring, so I work in a café to earn money for rent on my apartment."

"Aren't you worried about getting home sick?"

Kari snorted, "The only things I'll miss about England are people like Robyn, Ash and Lily."

"Huh?"

"You've met Robyn, Ash is Lily's older brother and they're friends too. My parents don't care too much."

Joey knew how that felt.

"It's all a null point anyway." Kari shrugged, "I don't want to go back to England." She grinned then, "So, who's up for raiding the blimp's kitchen while we still can? We've got another few hours before we get back to Domino."

Tristan and Joey, of course, looked interested.


	17. Hired

"Damn, Rich-Boy's cook is scary." Joey whispered, half afraid that he'd coming chasing them down the corridor again.

"Well how was I supposed to know he'd be in the kitchen?" Kari asked. "I thought we'd touch down before meal time."

"Perhaps we're getting a meal with the closing ceremony." Tristan shrugged.

"Back to my room?" Kari asked. Joey and Tristan nodded and gave her a hand to her feet.

They were halfway back when Kaiba 'happened' to bump into them. "Ironhide." Kaiba nodded, "I'm challenging you to a duel. Tuesday at 5pm. I'll send my limo to pick you up."

"Thank you very much Mr Kaiba, but I'll have to give you some details, I'll be back in work by then."

"Very well. Do you accept?"

Joey rolled his eyes, causing Kari to have to stifle her giggles as she agreed and the CEO stalked off down the corridor.

"Well that didn't take very long." Kari laughed as they reached the corridor with her room in.

"We warned you." Joey smirked as her door slid open. "If anything I'm glad he won't be chasing Yugi around any more."

"Won't be chasing me nothing." Yugi groaned, "He issued a challenge while you three were gone, I have a match with him on Thursday."

"He thinks he's going to be King of Games by then." Joey snorted, "He's playing Kari on Tuesday."

"Got you already?" Yugi asked, Yami rolling his eyes in the background.

"He just happened to bump into me in the corridor." Kari rolled her eyes in return. Yugi laughed and shook his head.

"You entering the Tournament in a couple of week's time?" Kari asked as she sank onto the sofa.

"Yeap, it'll be nice to not be entering as the 'King of Games'." Yugi said.

"I'll be there, hopefully we'll get a rematch." Kari grinned. "If Yami hadn't looked so shocked, I would have sworn he'd thrown the Duel."

' _I would never…'_

"Yami doesn't throw Duels." Yugi assured her.

"I might head for the Infirmary, ask if they've got any ibuprofen." Kari said, "And then I'm sorry to kick you out but I just want to sleep off the ache until we get back."

Yugi and Yami looked at each other, "We're sorry." Yugi said looking at the ground.

"What for?" Kari looked confused.

"For dragging you into our mess."

"I had a chance to run didn't I?" Kari asked, "I just didn't take it."

"But…"

"You can't apologise for every mess that comes after you." Kari said tactically, "Do you wake up in the morning and think I'm going to get people coming after me deliberately?" Yugi shook his head, "No? Then it's not your fault."

Joey looked highly amused by her bluntness, "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to get some pain killers and I'm going to sleep. Feel free to stick around, but please do so quietly."

They had dispersed by the time she got back.

* * *

Kari was the last into the Dinning Room which was surprisingly clean considering the mess they'd made this morning, and she looked as stiff as old boards.

She frowned, looked around, then shrugged and joined her friends at one of the tables as the blimp finally finished docking.

"Sleep well?" Mai asked.

Kari shrugged.

Tea, Joey and Tristan took that as a no.

"I was wondering if I could have your home phone numbers." Kari said as Seto Kaiba stood up, "You know, to keep in contact."

"You can have mine but…" Yugi whispered and cut off at a glare from Kaiba.

The press, who'd piled on the blimp the moment it had been safe to board, arrived and set up in seconds.

"Oh great." Kari groaned.

"You knew it was coming." Joey pointed out.

"Oh shut up."

"Another Battle City has come to a close and this time I'm very pleased and surprised to announce a new winner."

' _What's he up to?'_ Yami asked.

" _Dunno, let me listen."_

"First however, I will introduce the runner up. Not who you most of you would expect as runner up, may I present the second prize check, to Former King of Games, Yugi Muto."

' _Git.'_

" _Shush."_

Yugi took the check and sat down, well aware of the murmuring from the press.

"Now to introduce the winner. Today, on Battle Island, the King of Games was dethroned in favour of a new ruler, a female ruler. May I introduce to the Duelling World, the winner of Battle City and the new Queen of Games. Kari Ironhide!" Kari gulped and stood up.

The press looked stunned as Kari accepted the check.

Of course they did. She was an unknown in the area. She found herself smiling and returned to her friends quickly, glad that was over.

"You do realise they'll expect you to say something afterwards don't you."

"You're kidding."

"No, I hope you like to play 20 questions."

"Take the title back." Kari moaned at Yugi. "Please?"

"I'll win it back." Yugi surprised her by saying until she noticed the red eyes and smirked.

"I'll take you up on that."

They ate quickly and with the press hovering expectantly. They descended like vultures when the meal was cleared.

Twenty questions wasn't the game, twenty hundred was.

Yugi was caught in the crush too. Kaiba had a few questions thrown his way, but for once Joey didn't seem to mind being ignored. He used his much bigger size to allow Kari and Yugi to get through so they could escape after making their apologies.

Kari saved Yugi and Tea's home numbers on her mobile before they split up.

Home and bed was the order of the rest of the day.

* * *

"Ironhide, are you aware the press is scaring off our customers?" The Café manager asked sometime Monday afternoon.

"I don't know how they got my work address, but I'm going to cause whoever told them serious bodily harm."

"Are you kidding, the publicly is great, go and talk to them."

"No, I don't want to… eep." Kari was pushed out of the staff room door and in front of the press.

"Miss Ironhide!" They started talking at her.

"Give me a second to serve the customers." She said to them, noting who the only customer left was, "Hi Joey."

"Hi Kari." Joey nodded, "They found you then."

She nodded, "Cause a distraction will you?" She hissed after taking their order.

Joey nodded and she smiled gratefully.

He waited until she'd turned around and headed for the counter then shouted, "Hey look it's Jessica Hughes… is that a new boyfriend?" The press of course, unable to avoid a story about the stars, turned away and only a couple of them saw Kari drag Joey out the back entrance and flee.

"Well that was fun." She said sarcastically when they'd lost the last of them.

"You're fast."

"Practise. I wasn't always popular." Kari shrugged.

"So what're you planning to do now? You can't go back to work."

"Hand my notice in and find somewhere new to work." Kari shrugged, "They'll go out of business or fire me if that keeps up."

Joey snorted, "Wanna come to Yugi's? There's normally something interesting going on."

"As long as it isn't the same sort of interesting as yesterday, I'm in."

* * *

Seto Kaiba was looking at application forms when one caught his eye.

It was from a foreigner, so normally it wouldn't have been looked at, but the name on it made him smirk and insert the CD portfolio.

So the Queen of Games was job hunting in his industry was she?

He could use this.

He could use her he decided, looking at her portfolio.

Maybe there was a way he could work this to his advantage.

* * *

Kari was watching Joey and Tristan brawl in the Muto living room when her mobile phone went off.

The two teens paused while she answered it.

"Hello. Speaking. Last stage interview?" She looked excited at the prospect, "When? Tomorrow…I've arranged…Ok. Duel first, interview afterwards…Ok. Ok. Thank you. Goodbye."

"What was that about?" Tea asked as Joey and Tristan started all over again.

"I've got an interview to work for Kaiba Corp after my Duel tomorrow." Kari said, "Won't they break something in a minute?" She frowned at the two.

"Na," Yugi shook his head, "They know Grandpa would kill them if they did." He looked at her, "Did they say who was going to be interviewing you?"

"Mr Kaiba. It has to be Seto doesn't it?"

"You can't call him by his first name." Tea reminded her, "It's not polite here."

"Sorry." Kari replied, "Well at least he's efficient. I won't have to go back again if he doesn't like me."

"He just wants to make you nervous before your match." Joey shrugged, finally winning and stealing the spare seat.

"Well if I didn't run away from Xuan, I'm certainly not running from Kaiba."

Yugi laughed, "So what's the plans for tonight?"

* * *

"You think he's going to mind?"

"Us recording?" Yugi asked, he shook his head, "No, he'll want it recorded in as many ways as possible in case he wins."

"Ok." Kari took a deep breath and stepped into the Kaiba Corp building at 4:45pm. The others had been waiting for her outside. "Uh, hi, I'm here for a five o'clock Duel with Mr Kaiba."

"Name?" The secretary asked.

"Ironhide Kari."

"Mr Kaiba's expecting you. He didn't mention anything about guests though." She buzzed and asked the CEO who told her, rather loudly, to let them all up, "Go on up." She said, "Second lift on the right up to the 15th floor, then the third on the left, go up to floor 29 and the PA should sort you out there."

"That was complicated." Joey complained as they finally reached the top floor.

Kaiba was already waiting for them.

"I half expected you to bring them with you for the Duel." He said, "They're to go to the 30th floor, while we're on the 32nd."

"Yes Mr Kaiba."

"We're recording the duel to send back to Kari's friend, Robyn." Yami was in control, "That's alright?"

"I don't care." Kaiba snapped, ignoring the changes. "Ready Miss Ironhide."

Kari nodded.

"Let's take this upstairs then."

It was a traditional Duelling Arena, the old platforms and emitters but it was on a scale Kari had never seen before. It was easily bigger then the ones she'd seen on TV in the programmes about Duellist Kingdom.

"You're to make the first move, Miss Ironhide."

"Fine." The two voices echoed and Kari held off until Yami gave her the thumbs up to say they were recording before she drew, "I summon Mad Dog of Darkness in attack mode and play one card face down and end my turn." The 1900 attack point dog was larger then Kari had ever seen it before.

Kaiba drew, "I play two cards face down and summon Battle Ox in defence mode. It's your move Ironhide."

Kari drew and grinned, oh her partner loved her this week, "I sacrifice my Mad Dog of Darkness for the Dark Magician Girl!" The Spellcaster arrived on the field with a flourish.

"I activate Cloning." Kaiba called. A huge machine appeared on his side of the field, "It allows me to clone the monster you just summoned and have it on my side of the field." A Dark Magician Girl that reminded Kari a little of Dark Link from the Legend of Zelda games, stepped out of the machine and glowered at her Dark Magician Girl.

"Fine, I activate Magic Formula, increasing my Dark Magician Girl's attack by 700." Kari called. Her Dark Magician Girl read the book that appeared and smirked as she gazed at the 'clone' Dark Magician Girl. "Dark Magician Girl, attack his fake!"

"I activate Negate Attack!" Kaiba's clone was saved for now.

"I guess I end my turn."

"I sacrifice Battle Ox and my clone for my first Blue Eyes White Dragon."

_Uh oh._

"Blue Eyes, destroy her Dark Magician Girl!" Kari's mage was destroyed and first her points went up by 1000 and then down by 300. "Your move Ironhide."

"I play a card face down in defence mode and end my turn." Kari growled.

Kaiba drew, "I summon Spear Dragon in attack mode." He hesitated for a split second, then made up his mind, "Spear Dragon, attack her face down card!"

Kari lost 500 points to Kaiba's trample effect, taking the difference in attack of his monster and defence of hers away from her life points.

"Blue Eyes attack her directly!"

Kari was suddenly very glad of her 1000 boost earlier, as her points dropped to 1200.

"Your move Ironhide."

She drew and winced, "A card in defence mode and one card face down, your move."

"Spear Dragon, attack her face down card."

It exploded, Blue Eyes exploded.

"Old Vindictive Magician." Kaiba growled, knowing what it was already that had caused his dragon's death. "One card face down and I end my turn."

"I summon Double Costan in attack mode and set a card face down." Kari sighed, "Your move."

 _Why in attack mode, is she that obviously trying to lure me in?_ Kaiba thought, "I play Monster Reborn to bring back my Blue Eyes and summon Lord of D. Because he's on the field I can activate Flute of Summoning Dragon to summon my other two dragons."

"In response to you summoning your other two dragons, I activate Trap Hole to destroy Lord of D."

"It won't matter, Blue Eyes end this by attacking her Double Costan!"

"Mirror Force!" Kari's voice could be heard over the roar of the triple attack.

Kaiba's Blue Eyes White Dragons and Spear Dragon died.

 _That worked better then I'd hoped._ Kari thought to herself as Kaiba gave her a dirty look and ended his turn.

"I summon Herald of Creation." Kari called, bringing forth only the third light monster in her deck, with 1800 attack points. "Double Costan, Herald of Creation! Attack!"

Joey cheered as Kaiba lost 3500 points, reducing him to 500.

"Your move Seto Kaiba."

"Vorse Raider in attack mode." Kaiba knew he was in trouble, not that he'd ever admit it, he had to keep magic and trap cards off of the field to prevent her doing to him what she'd done to Yugi, but it wasn't working. "Attack Double Costan!" The zombie monster died, taking Kari down to 1000. "Your move."

"I play Monster Reborn to bring back your Blue Eyes White Dragon and use it to attack your own Vorse Raider." Kaiba's Vorse Raider died and so did his life points.

Kari grinned as the bleep finished counting down the points, then the grin died, she had to get through an interview with him now… that, somehow, was scarier then Duelling him.

Yami gave her a thumbs up as they headed for the lifts but she didn't get a chance to talk to her friends before she was dragged through for her interview.

* * *

Kari was quiet on the way back to the Muto residence making the others worry about what Kaiba had said to her.

She thanked the limo driver politely and waited until it was out of sight.

Before giving the loudest excited scream the gang had ever heard from anyone ever.

Considering that they hadn't been expecting it, it was little surprise that Joey and Tristan jumped a mile, Tea had backed off quickly and Yami had switched control with Yugi.

"Are you alright?" Yami asked.

"I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job!" This continued upstairs and into the living room.

"So I'm guessing she was hired?"

"I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job!"

"Kari, calm down and tell us exactly what you've been hired to do."

"I've been hired as a Games Artist, to be one of the people who works on graphics for games and things. Mr Kaiba also said something about helping out the Tactics department on occasion but I don't know what that is."

"So you'll be working on the holograms for the Duel Disks?"

"Hopefully." Kari nodded. "We'll see."

"So when do you start?"

"Thursday morning." Kari replied, tired now the adrenaline was draining away. "It's going to be a bit of an evil start time but…"

"What time is it?"

"6 am."

"What?"

Kari shrugged, "I have to hand in my notice effective immediately in the café and be ready to start at 6am Thursday."

"So, celebration?" Joey asked.

"Pizza?" Kari asked with big wide eyes.

"Akkk! I thought only Yugi could pull off the Cutsie Eyes of Doom!" Joey scrambled away.

"Please!"

"Ok. What type…?"

This dissolved into a five way debate that was only settled when they ordered five different pizzas.

Suffice to say there was pizza available for breakfast.


	18. Rematch

"And this is turning out to the rematch of the century, folks, with so many twists and turns that it's making my head spin. Neither Yugi Muto or Kari Ironhide seem to be ready to give up, but with only one hundred points apiece left, this Duel must be coming to a conclusion now."

"I'm not out yet Yugi!" Kari smirked. "I sacrifice my Magician of Faith for my Dark Magician Girl!"

"She's no match for my Sorcerer of Dark Magic." Yami smirked back, as the 2600 attack point Mage-in-training appeared on the field, attack boosted by the fact there were two Dark Magicians in the graveyard, facing down a 3200 attack point high mage. "And you can't stop him using trap cards."

"I don't have to." Kari was fully aware of this fact. "I activate Mage Power!"

There was a roar from the crowd as the Dark Magician Girl grew to 3600. 500 for each card she had in the magic and trap card spaces.

"Now she can handle your Sorcerer, Dark Magician Girl! Burning Magic Attack!"

Yugi's Sorcerer attempted to hold off the wave of magic. "Waboku!" Yami roared above the crowd.

"What?"

The attack fizzled out, leaving the Sorcerer standing and Yami's life points untouched.

"Fine." Kari growled, looking at her hand, then her deck, with only three cards left, "I end my turn."

"You're not the only one who can power up their monster." Yami said, "I activate Sword of Dark Rites!"

His Sorcerer grew to the same attack as Kari's Dark Magician Girl.

"So now what?" Kari asked, intrigued by Yami's tactic.

"Now I end this, and play Soul Taker!"

Kari froze as her Dark Magician Girl keeled over, her green eyes growing dark before she vanished from the field. Kari's life points went up by 1000 but the teen was giving Yami a look that could kill. "What did you do to her?"

Yami realised exactly what she meant and knew he'd be just the same if it had been his Dark Magician. She wasn't asking what the card had done, it was more a 'what happened to my friend'? "Soul Taker destroys one enemy monster and grants my opponent one thousand life points." Kari scowled. "And this Duel is over, I attack you with my Sorcerer!"

"I activate Soul Shield!"

Kari's points dropped to 50 as something drained from her and formed a protective shield.

"Sorry Kari, but you forgot my Sorcerer's special ability."

"No!"

Her Soul Shield died and with it her last hope.

Her points hit zero.

The crowd roared eagerly as the announcer re-announced Yami as the King of Games.

Yami however was busy wondering how painfully Kari was going to kill him when they got home. Soul Taker had been a recent acquisition and he hadn't wanted to use it, but it had been the last trump card he'd had, he too had been down to his last few cards.

"Well played Yugi." Kari said coolly, then she sighed and smiled. "You do realise that I'm going to get you back for that, don't you?"

Yami smirked, "You can try."


End file.
